The Book About Getting Older: The essential comforting guide to ageing with wise advice for the highs and lows

Description

'The most important book about the second half of your life you'll ever read. I wish everyone in the UK could be under Dr Lucy's care, but this is the next best thing' SANDI TOKSVIG

'This warm and compassionate book gets to the heart of older age. Using stories and accessible explanations, it covers issues of declining health, quality of life and choices about the things that matter most' THE BRITISH GERIATRICS SOCIETY
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Now more than ever, we need to talk about getting older.

Many of us are living to a very great age. But how do we give those we love, and eventually ourselves, long lives that are as happy and healthy as possible?

Dr Lucy's book gives us answers to the questions we can voice - and those that we can't.

A long life should be embraced and celebrated, but it's not all easy. Yet even the most challenging situation can be helped by the right conversation.

How do we start?
* How do we ask whether it's worth taking seven different medicines?
* Is it normal to find you're falling out of love with someone, as they disappear into dementia?
* Should Dad be driving, and if not, who can stop him?
* What are the secrets of the best care homes?
* When does fierce independence become bad behaviour?
* How do you navigate near-impossible discussions around resuscitation and intensity of treatments?
* And who decides what happens when we become ill?

Serious, funny, kind and knowledgeable, this readable book helps guide us through essential conversations about getting older that go straight to the heart of what matters most.
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'Wise, brim-full of excellent advice and thoughts from the frontline of caring for older people, it's a book full of humour and beautifully written' Kate Mosse

'Dr Pollock writes with spirit and empathy, making this an engaging and thought-provoking read ' Sunday Express

'Serious, funny, kind and knowledgeable, this book helps guide us through essential conversations about issues of getting older' Eastern Daily Press

'Wise, compassionate, well researched and very broad in its coverage. I've learnt a lot that will help me both as a doctor and a patient. Thank you' Dr Phil Hammond

'Terrific . . . I suggest we all get a copyof Dr Lucy's book' Evening Standard

'Interesting and engaging . . . The tone throughout is warm and friendly, even as serious and dark subjects are under discussion. It is an important book' Irish Times