Only days ago, the lead article on the front page of this very paper exclaimed that this nation is facing a Silver Tsunami. As stated then, readers were informed that baby boomers – those born between 1946 and 1964 – will by 2030 number over 70 million. Unfortunately, our society is ill equipped to face the demands of this aging population and its unique needs.
This remarkable book, The Gift of Caring: Saving Our Parents from the Perils of Modern Healthcare, comes at the right moment and is a impressive and welcome resource. The Gift of Caring is part memoir, written by a devoted daughter and author, Marcy Cottrell Houle, and part real-life expert advice from a well-respected geriatrician, Dr. Elizabeth Eckstrom.
Houle was raised in Portland, Oregon, where her father was an orthopedic surgeon. Her parents, George and Margaret Cottrell, were fit and active people who traveled widely. Shortly after her father’s retirement at 77, worrying incidents occurred with her father’s gait and then, his memory. After some time and much denial, the diagnosis of dementia and finally Alzheimer’s was made. Houle and her family’s lives were changed profoundly.
Houle became her father’s medical spokesperson and was responsible for many of the decisions concerning his care. She also saw to her mother’s well-being because the stress of looking after her beloved husband caused Margaret to neglect herself.
Houle does an amazing job of chronicling her journey from an adoring daughter with healthy, autonomous parents to a knowledgeable, fighting advocate who has to deal with a health care system that often lets patients fall through gaping cracks, some with deadly consequences.
The Gift of Caring is structured with chapters by Houle that touchingly narrate her family’s journey with George and Margaret through their final years. Companion chapters written by Eckstrom titled, “What I Wish I’d Known,” give clear and factual information to help caregivers and loved ones address aging issues as they arise.
Many issues that confront aging patients are not those that would immediately come to mind. One startling fact related by Eckstrom is that dehydration accounts for one of the top 10 reasons for hospital visits for the elderly. Dehydration can cause symptoms such as disorientation, dizziness, muscle weakness, headache and drop in blood pressure, to mention a few. Untreated, it can become life-threatening. Other concerns include multiple medications that can negate or intensify each other, delirium and falls, especially if they cause a broken hip. For each concern, Eckstrom offers great advice for these potential problems that can affect the older patient.
Another surprising piece of information shared by Eckstrom regards a little known fact to most people, called Hospitalization Associated Disability. This affects one-third of patients over 70 who are hospitalized. It means that despite what patients were admitted for, this unlucky 33 percent leaves the hospital with less ability to be independent than when they entered its care – even if the admitting symptom was cured.
A major fact pointed out by Eckstrom is that as the population of elderly patients grows, the availability of geriatricians and trained caregivers shrinks. This is not good news for the impending Silver Tsunami.
The Gift of Caring offers a well-written, easily read blend of loving account of a daughter’s final journey with her parents and a practical guide to aging well by a highly trained and knowledgeable geriatrician. This book can be a great weapon in the arsenal needed to battle the fractured system of current medical care. This resource could help save the lives of a loved one or even your own life.
Leslie Doran is a retired teacher, freelance writer and former New Mexican who claims Durango as her forever home.
If you go
Marcy Cottrell Houle will be at Maria’s Bookshop at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday to discuss her book, The Gift of Caring.
