Being Mortal by Atul Gawande
This
is a book that explores the aspect of death, life, and aging and how medical
profession alters the cycle of life by creating influence on how people live
their final days in the case of terminal conditions. It is considered as one
among his most personal books that provide perceptions of a medical surgeon in
light of the aspects of life death. In the book, he explores aspects of the
lives of some of his patients some of whom are his relatives. He describes the
realities of old age in the world of today where medical advances have grown.
In his explanation of old age, Atul explores the way the medical field has led
to the interruption of the normal cycle of life and is forcing patients to live
their final moments I horrors of medical interventions, yet death is a natural
part of life (Gawande, 2014).
The
medical world has led to the treatment of old people as sick and rather than
helping them celebrate their healthy people have been forced to work towards
their survival despite the inevitable aspect of human life which is associated
with deterioration and death. The book explores the medical philosophy of the
modern world about the way people approach death or dealing with serious
illnesses. He explains how people in the modern days are refusing to accept the
normal cycle of life because of the nations developed by the medical world
which focuses on well-being rather than survival. In most cases, medical
professional have become the people that control the way people spend their
last days in case of old age or serious illness and forget the fact that focus
on life is far important than focusing on the disease (FINK, 2014).
Many
times doctors treat old people as sick and thus fail to allow them to age gracefully.
The books bring out the aspect of Geriatrics which is very important. It shows
how the medical profession and the world have lost the meaning and
understanding of being mortal as the title states. Instead many doctors
especially newly appointed lack the capacity to effectively take care of the
old. Focus on geriatrics is important for people of old age because ensures
medical professionals focus on aspects of their lives rather than looking at
them as sick people. The aspect of making peoples last days meaningful and
comfortable is a great theme in the book (Gawande,
2014).
Instead,
people of today spend a lot of money in hospitals trying to improve the well-being
of people are in the natural cause of life which is aging. Aging is not a
disease and old people search to have their last days in a manner that is
comfortable and also affordable. Atul
explores the lives of some of his patients and some of whom are his relatives
and describes how modern day medicine does not guarantee a good ending for
many. He uses a paradox of the final days of his grandmother who was his
patient in America and his grandfather who died back in India. The paradox
between the two scenarios is that one was graceful and the other one was not.
It shows how the medical world of today has forced people to live their final
days in hospitals leaving family and friends broke and depressed (FINK, 2014).
Being
Mortal is a great book that explores the various form of elderly living
regarding the one that best suits the final days of older adults. The book
describes aspects of life death and sickness based on the perspective of a
medical professional. He provides a great argument on how good medical results
from medical professionals about seniors is used to satisfy the family and fail
to meet the needs of the person hospitalized or in assisted care. The book
shows how important the final days are to a person. It shows how the medical
world has forced many to live a life of safety surrounded by machines, drugs,
surgery and instead of letting people peacefully live their final days. The
toll associated with their strive for well-being during
the final days fall to the patients as well as the family in the form of
financial distress and depression. They deny people the grace of the final
moments and people live these moments with stress rather than happiness and
fullness of life that they deserve. Atul also explores the way the field of
medicine has led to the medicalization of the end of life. People spend money
gambling for the lives of their loved ones in hospital fight the natural cause
of life which is death. They are forced to fight with nature and push for the
futile endeavors that lead to the same outcomes. In the end, it leaves family
members miserable after spending most of their funds. Atul is very critical of
doctors and how they treat the elderly. However, he emphasizes on the aspect of
Geriatrics which focuses on better treatment of the elderly, and this includes
letting them live their final moments in comfort (FINK, 2014).
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