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).