Being Mortal

Being Mortal by Atul Gawande is a book that discusses “Medicine and What Matters in the End” as Gawande states on the cover of the book. Gawande explores how healthcare for elders has evolved as time has passed. The elderly were merely a burden on society and their loved ones before World War II. Hospitals were more custodial institutions, then came World War II, this is when hospitals were equipped with monitoring systems and antibiotics to treat people. When this took place the elderly were considered a pain for the nurses and doctors which led to the granting of funds by the Federal Government for a separate wing for the elderly. This wing then developed into what we call the nursing home. While even then these nurses and doctors could and sometimes would treat these elderly or terminally sick patients poorly. This led to the development of government inspections and regulations in order to maintain a proper nursing home. Overall this book discusses the development of elderly healthcare through examination, stories, and Dr. Gawande’s experience and knowledge in the field.

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