Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande - 4 stars

[Joy D]

Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande - 4 stars

“THIS IS A book about the modern experience of mortality—about what it’s like to be creatures who age and die, how medicine has changed the experience and how it hasn’t, where our ideas about how to deal with our finitude have got the reality wrong.” – Atul Gawande

We do not like to think about our mortality but assessing in advance about what is most important to us is extremely relevant to how we spend our last days, assuming we are fortunate enough to avoid accident or sudden death. Gawande draws upon his medical background, experiences with end-of-life situations, research, and case studies to make a case for investigating what the patient wants rather than dispensing information and letting the patient decide, which is what is often done now. Some people value quality of life over taking extraordinary means to survive a short time longer, often at the cost of more pain and suffering.

The author makes a strong case for increasing individual freedoms in assisted living and nursing home arrangements, recommending earlier palliative care, and training doctors and other medical professionals in asking the right questions to help the patient make informed choices. He begins to discuss allowing individuals end-of-life decisions but does not go into much depth. Though it is obvious this book is written by a doctor, Gawande does a good job of avoiding medical jargon and explaining his perspective in straight-forward manner. He takes the subject matter to a personal level by sharing his father’s decline and eventual death, and how his family handled it. He advises holding those uncomfortable but necessary conversations with loved ones before a crisis arises.

I particularly liked the list of questions to ask in dealing with a terminal situation. I also appreciated learning more about hospice and that it is not solely related to imminent death, as is widely believed. Though it’s not pleasant to read about death and dying, this book contains valuable and pragmatic advice. I found it informative and worthwhile.

Link to My Review

[Book Concierge]

My mother was on hospice care for the last three YEARS of her life. A great comfort to her and to her family.

[Joy D]

I had a similar experience with my father-in-law. When we were told he needed hospice care, we thought it meant he was imminently dying but he stayed with us for many months under their care. I think it is not well-known how much it can help in extending life, at least we weren't aware until this experience.