A Bitter Pill: How the Medical System is Failing the Elderly

• John Sloan, MD
• Greystone Books, 2009
• Paperback, 252 pages
• ISBN: 9781553654551

What's worse than the failure of the health care system to adequately care for seniors? The fact that it's actually doing them harm. In "A Bitter Pill," Dr. John Sloan investigates the reasons why the medical community is unable to provide lasting health to seniors, concluding that incorrect assumptions have led to the current health crisis among the elderly. In a remarkable argument, Sloan contends that medical measures based in prevention actually do seniors more harm than good, diminishing their current quality of life in the hopes of preventing future disease. Sloan maintains that we must understand what those in poor health really need -- a way to enjoy the final stages of their lives. A valuable resource for caregivers, nurses, doctors, and children of the elderly, this book may just turn the tide of medical misconception that has plagued the senior community.