Overview:
The medical profession is generally trained to resolve problems, to fix problems. But age is a normal function that continuously makes life more difficult. Age cannot be fixed. The medical profession can patch the body, but always temporarily and usually with other consequences. Even if a person does everything right, they will still accumulates problem and end with death. Making more correct health choices over a life time can reduce the chances of many age-related symptoms, but death cannot be overcome. Not thinking about the aging process, prevents individuals from adapting to the differences. Only by accepting the fragility of life, can an individual change to make the aging experience better.

The problems of age are a recent human phenomenon. Historically, old age was rare, as people did not survive to experience the ravages of age. Medicine made many previously fatal events, not mortally threatening, therefore prolonging life. Medicine has even slowed down many mortal threats. Slowed down their progression, but not cure them. Death is still the final outcome. There are those who do not fear death, but fear what happens before death. The loss of function, and friends. Perspective changes when primed by age. Perspective that reorients priorities away from vanities, power, and achievements, and towards appreciating everyday pleasures, and connecting with others.

As people age, they become more dependent on others, but they do still want to live at home and be independent. Nursing homes tend to relieve family members of the burden of taking care of the elderly, not of making life worth living for those people. There are facilities that enable elders to live as well as they can, by bringing to them things that make life worth living.

For the elderly, choosing freedom does not mean that health is sacrificed. Research showed that those who had more independence, had better physical, cognitive, and mental health. Better outcomes, at lower costs.

There are people, are can be very active in old age. But that is a rarity. Biological luck. Making everyone else feel like a failure. Distracting everyone else from adapting to their situations. For most, the fragile body will continue to weaken.

Caveats?
This is a very emotionally jarring book. The reader must come prepared emotionally to handle the topic. Without even much prompting, the book forces the reader to reflect on one’s own life. One’s own mortality. One’s own inevitabilities. This reflection, the acknowledged finite time of one’s life, can make individual’s change the choices that they make.

This book uses many examples to highlight the problems with how the society deals with aging. Sometimes, the author gets lost in the examples, which distracts from the problem that needs correcting. ( )

"Being Mortal to me reminds me that life is short and we must live life according to our own ancient lifestyle habits and not the modern habits. To me that means taking care of my body by exercising daily in different formats, eating healthy foods, enjoying nature and its simple beauties and spending time with family and loved ones through conversations over the phone and in person. it also taught me that your tribe that you make your family is everything to keep you going when you are older to sustain you so that you can live on your own with minimal support."

"Coming form a background wherein the elderly are not placed in a nursing home once they reach ancient years but are taken in by younger relatives and cared for until they pass away it means that family unity is important to my familial clan and to my natal family-my parents-as well. My siblings see it differently though I won't get into that here in this review. I also see caring for my parents not as my duty, but as my obligation to pay it forward and to bless them in their aging years and give them an excellent quality of life just as they gave me a great start to life!"

"I will always treasure this book for reminding me that living with my parents until they die and caring for them out of love and joy is better than moving out and being miserable to pay someone else's mortgage and let them live debt free and have a better quality of life whilst your parents suffer in their lives. From the example the author gave about his relatives it inspired me to stay the course and continue serving my parents faithfully in their home and do my part to make their lives easier as they age by being as supportive of their independence and wishes as much as possible and for them to respect mine as well. But for us to also collaborate together as a team to come. up with a game plan for their enjoyment and happiness without spending any money. For me that is spending time reading with my mother. For my father and I ti is deep conversations that give me insights and a window into his heart and peace in knowing that he is going to be okay even though he may never be reconciled with certain family members for various reasons. I see it as my duty and my charge to bolster my parents and to champion my siblings separately and promote unity and harmony for all my living relatives that I am in contact with so that being mortal in this life of living will turn into a beautiful eternity of a lasting legacy of joy, harmony, wisdom, and peace at the end of our days. That is what this book taught me." ( )

An excellent look at the end of life in its many forms, focused on old age but including terminal illness at all ages. Hospice and palliative care are so important but they are often put off in hopes of finding a cure for what may not have one. I think this would have been better with some mention of the disparities between care offered to those in different socioeconomic classes. This was still very good though, especially with the focus on accepting our own mortality. ( )

This book should be required reading for anyone with aging parents. Who am I kidding? Everyone needs to read this because all of us will face these decisions someday for ourselves or for someone we love.

The book talks about death with dignity. What makes life worth living when your body is at the edge of failure? How much medicine is too much? How can we do the right thing to make care for the elderly better in assisted living homes?

I read this book a week after my Mother passed away. I feel comforted by the book because it supports the decisions that were made at the very end of her life but it makes me feel terrible about my own lack of interest in her life while she was living in assisted living.

Very readable despite the subject matter. ( )

An important book, but gut wrenching to read. I wonder how many important conversations with loved ones will be started by people who read it. How much are you willing to suffer now for a chance at more time? How do you choose between options that are all terrifying? Who can you count on to decide for you when you can't decide for yourself? I hope all med students read it. One of the few light moments for me was how much doctors don't want to treat "Old Crocks" as we oldsters are known. I'm going to make a real effort not to seem vague and cranky next time I talk to a physician. ( )