Willmar Public Library Reads discussion

Some of the questions we discussed after reading Being Mortal:

1. The author points out that a medical student’s education has not traditionally included training on helping a patient cope with grief. Why has this been the case? How could such training change our experience with regards to end of life issues?

2.. Being Mortal begins with an overview of aging in our culture and abroad. How might our society’s approach to aging differ from that of other cultures? How has the evolution of nursing homes and assisted care facilities changed the way we approach end of life issues?

3. In our society, we generally consider discussions of mortality to be “depressing.” How has reading Being Mortal changed those feelings for you? What might you do differently in light of your reading?

4. Did you read Alice Hobson’s story as an inspiring one, or as a cautionary tale?

5. What realities are captured in the story of Lou Sanders and his daughter, Shelley, regarding home care? What conflicts did Shelley face between her intentions and the practical needs of the family and herself? What does the book illustrate about the universal nature of this struggle in families around the globe?

6. How was your reading affected by the book’s final scene, as Dr. Gawande fulfills his father’s wishes? How do tradition and spirituality influence your concept of what it means to be mortal?