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Monday, October 6, 2014

Diane Rehm On Aging. We Want Safety For Our Loved Ones; Autonomy For Ourselves

Modern medicine has advanced dramatically in the past century: Average life expectancy has increased from the mid-40s to the mid-70s today. But as medicine has advanced and people are living longer, children are more likely to live far away from aging parents. Nursing homes and assisted living facilities are popular destinations, but often focus on safety and routines at the expense of quality of life and human interaction. Harvard physician and author Atul Gawande argues that making mortality a medical experience is failing society. And he says end-of-life treatments often end up shortening lives instead of extending them. A Harvard doctor on a smarter approach to aging and dying.

Guests

Dr. Atul Gawande 
general surgeon, Brigham & Women’s Hospital; professor at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health; staff writer at The New Yorker magazine; author of “The Checklist Manifesto,” “Better” and “Complications.”
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