Lifelines: Living Longer, Growing Frail, Taking Heart

I first bought Muriel Gillick's book Tangled Minds in 1999 when my mother-in-law was ill with Alzheimer's, and I found it a sanity saver. Dr. Gillick alternates scientific discussions of the disorder with narrative about a patient, enabling the lay-person to understand what is happening with a patient, and why. Her book saved my sanity: doctors and nursing home staff can be very reluctant to answer questions about end-of-life decisions, or even to tell you when the end is coming. After my mother-in-law's last stroke, they kept saying, day by day, "she seems much better". To me, she seemed to be dying, and Dr. Gillick's book confirmed my opinion. I was ready with information to support my husband and sister-in-law in end-of-life decisions when the time came, and to plan ahead for her death when they were too emotionally wrought to do so. As a result, she died quickly, peacefully, and painlessly in her own room, surrounded by family, and the funeral itself was not stressful and was a comfort to her family. I've been looking for similar help in dealing with issues surrounding my husband's stepfamily. Alzheimer's is not the issue here, but Parkinson's disorder and osteoarthritis have left his stepmother very ill and frail. Dr. Gillick's book Lifelines is in a similar format to Tangled Minds, and here, too, she is able to use her information to guide families in understanding the issues of these frail adults, and in working to provide them the best quality of life possible in their last years.