Being Mortal Gawande Summary

Being Mortal

Inevitably so, we all experience aging in a way where serious illness or infirmity will occur. That being said, our self-reliance begins to fade and we become dependent on others. Whether we are taken in by our family and loved ones, or institutionalized in a nursing home, we sacrifice who we are as independents. Nonetheless, we give up the things we have worked so daringly hard for in life; our home, occupation, and relationships. In our times of old age, we face the most grueling of incidences. After reading “Being Mortal”, it becomes apparent that the employment of geriatricians and proper geriatric care is unmet. The attraction for many medical students is to get their parents’ satisfaction or earn a substantial income. Moreover,
He addresses to us that endings matter and that though we can have a long duration of steady pleasure, our remembering self will render the whole experience ruined if the ending is a bad one. Gawande understands that we see ourselves in our own stories, in that we strive for goals that are much larger than we are. That said, there are many ways that we can achieve such an ending. In the novel, Gawande talks about the introduction of animals in the hospital setting (dogs, cats, parakeets, etc.) and how they make the patients feel purposed. The patients are tasked with responsibilities such as caring for or feeding their animal, and they can note their animal’s progress. As an aspiring vet, I think attacking geriatric care from this angle is one we cannot overlook. Moreover, I think creating an environment without the depressing characteristics of a nursing home or hospital would help to fulfill a satisfying ending (fluorescent lights, double-bed rooms, tightly run regimens, the smell of antiseptics). It was also proven that replacing the word “geriatric” with “older adult”, would give such healthcare more of an appeal as “geriatric” has a negative connotation. Another way we could fulfill this personal ending of ours would be by maintaining our most personal relationships. Nowadays when loved ones are distanced, patients can touch base via Skype and other modes of communication. I believe if healthcare included means by which visits from family members were facilitated, I think this would help create our ending. “Being Mortal” engenders feelings of thoughtfulness in our geriatric healthcare system. I too have contemplated being a