Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Anyone who is already old, caring for someone old, or intending to grow old in the near or distant future needs to read this book. Now! And that not only includes readers; it also includes policy-makers. Elderhood is not a “how-to” book that treads over the same old tired ground. Rather, it’s a book that tackles why aging must be understood and redefined and why the medical establishment’s usual goals of saving lives and curing disease is misplaced and ill-advised in many older patients. I’m going to pause a moment in this review to say that I was the point person for my own once vibrant elderly mother, who died at age 93 after a 10-year downward spiral. I saw first-hand how healthcare, well-meaning though it was, often acted counterintuitively. Dr. Aronson makes many excellent points including these: *All top-ranked health systems on the planet rely on primary care to keep people healthy. In the U.S., ranked 37th among nations by the World Health Organization, we have trouble recruiting physicians to primary care since those doctors are paid on average over $100,000 less than specialists. As a result, we focus on high-tech solutions rather than commonsense ones. *Pharmaceutical trials focus mostly on middle-aged, not elderly, targets. As a result, the side effects in the elderly are often minimized or glossed over entirely. Moreover, many older patients (my mom was one of them) are prescribed multiple drugs that interact with each other and cause more harm than good. *It is easier for the elderly to get a cochlear implant than a hearing aid or laser treatments instead of eyeglasses. Yet a simple “fix” can do wonders by providing the elderly with a healthier, fully-engaged life. *Being “old” should not be classified as 65+. In reality, people in the Third Age of life (the young-old) have vast differences in health, activities and consumer roles. They are very distinct from the “old-old” who are truly infirm and dependent. *Successful aging is possible for those who do not perceive meaning in aging itself, but instead, perceive meaning in being themselves in old age. Adaptability and self-acceptance are key. I could go on and on – just about every page has insights on how we, as a society, can reimagine life and why it’s crucial to do so, since someone who is 65 years old and relatively healthy will very likely live to 90. This well-written, easily accessible book should be mandatory for anyone entering medical school or politics, and certainly for every person who is affected by aging (i.e., all of us).