It Shouldn't Be This Way: The Failure of Long-Term Care

I read this book after my roommate, who studies gerontology, passed it on. It was part of his coursework. As someone who is getting older, the take-away (which, I suspect, is intended to be broader and inform the medical and elder-care community) is not to move far away from your family in retirement. Unfortunately, what the writer doesn't acknowledge is the way in which Ruth was part of a systematic relocation of elders from the crowded Northeast to Florida and Arizona, supported by millions of Federal dollars for infrastructure in the 60's and 70's. Everything the author describes would have happened differently had his mother aged in place.

I just starting to read this book last night. My brother passed away after 4 months in a regular hospital/ then to a long term acute care facility/then to a subacute care facility/then back to a regular hospital. He had cancer and Guillain-Barre, a paralysis, also COPD and a heart valve. A lot going against him, and he was 77. This was a gut-wrenching experience for him, his family, and his friends. I am very intested to learn what this doctor and his sister have to say about the long term care experience. My other brother, age 72, is now in a long term care facility with Parkinson's.

I work in a Long Term Care Facility. This book is extremely unfair to the staff who are trying their very best to provide a quality life for the elderly whose family are unable to provide care. The "mother' discussed by the authors is a very challenging individual. She has behaviors that do not respond to love and care. She is the type of person who causes staff to become burnt-out. And then it is so typical that as staff are attempting to provide a safe environment, family show up and complain about the situation. We do not "throw away" elder adults that are angry and abusive. Staff, including myself are in this job because we love older adults. We do not make much money. We could have gone into sales or technical fields and doubled our salaries. I am very proud of caregivers who spend their day changing diapers interspersed with giving hugs and reassurances to older adults who are lonely. There was not one nice thing said about staff in this book written by very angry family members who undoubtedly are feeling guilt over not being able to care for their mother at home.

It met the need and arrived on time. I didn't really care for the content. One of a million stories nothing new. I bought it second hand and used it was.

One of the best books I've read! ...and not just because I had to for class! The perfect book for a gerontologist! Thank you UMASS Boston for this book!

Mandatory reading for developers, administration and care professional of senior living industry

Yes

I recommend this book highly, having read it shortly after my father had to go into a nursing home. It resonated completely with my overall experience and made me more assertive in pushing for changes at the home where my father resided. Like the authors, I have experience with medical practice, as I'm a professor teaching medical students, but encountered the same frustrations that Dr. Kane describes. The lists of questions to ask and things to be cautious about at the end of each chapter are great resources for anyone who is, or may become, responsible for the care of an aging relative . Dr. Kane's sad, but engaging, story of his mother's experiences during her declining health illustrates the many difficulties in changing a system of care for the elderly that has depended too much on the good will and dedication of underpaid and often inadequately trained staff at assisted living and nursing homes. The problems Dr. Kane describes happen far too often.