The Merck Manual of Health & Aging: The Comprehensive Guide to the Changes and Challenges of Aging- for Older Adults and Those Who Care For and About Them (Hardcover)

by Mark H. Beers (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Merck Pharmaceuticals have edited a clear and comprehensive reference for older adults. Dr. Mark Beers begins with the age-old questions: when does a person become old and why does the body change? The remainder of this guide is divided into preventive and active care for self and others. The list of topics is a virtual everything you want to know about aging: nutritional needs, finding a doctor, understanding tests, surgery and rehabilitation, and long term care. More than one hundred specific medical conditions including fractures, constipation, tinnitus, dental disease, and dementia are explained and cross referenced with useful details. Although a clinical explanatory model prevails, non-traditional methods such as acupuncture and homeopathy receive honorable mention. The guide takes an unflinching look at sexuality, end of life decisions, and mistreatment of elderly adults. Other practical c! hapters are devoted to driving dilemmas and navigating the Byzantine financing of health care. This information is punctuated with essays from older adults--including a cheeky Max Sendak cartoon. The essays, along with charts, photos, and illustrations help to lessen the book's encyclopedic tone. Many older adults and the people who care for them will welcome the well-organized format and richly detailed information of this guide. --Barbara Mackoff

From Publishers Weekly
This mammoth reference book begins with the premise that "[t]he need for good, unbiased health care information runs deep, whether people are seeking to become more active in caring for themselves or others." It then goes on to provide for that need, covering all aspects of health changes through the process of aging, and explaining how to prevent or manage those changes. The book is easy to navigate and cross-reference, and includes simple but useful drawings to explain such conditions as aneurysms, heart valve disorders and pressure sores (aka bedsores). The first two sections address "the fundamentals of aging" (why aging occurs, how it affects the body and how it's changing the U.S.) and "caring for self and others," including preventive care, nutrition, appropriate use of drugs and other topics. The authors then go through an in-depth discussion of medical conditions that can affect the elderly, explaining symptoms, treatment and aftercare. This chapter supplies sound information to enhance interaction with health care providers and enable continuity of care, for both patients and caregivers. The final section covers social, legal and ethical issues and includes a guide to paying for health care and a useful reference table for prescription drugs. Twenty-five inspiring essays by seniors are sprinkled throughout the text, giving this encyclopedic text a human aspect. This excellent handbook is an essential resource for mature people, their families and caregivers.
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Product Details

• Hardcover: 961 pages
• Publisher: Merck; 1 edition (May 18, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0911910360
• ISBN-13: 978-0911910360
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #207,233 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent reference book , June 5, 2006

By	D Williams "www.southwestmedicals.com" (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews

I own an online medical supply and equipment business and am also a legal aid hotline attorney. In both capacities, I have alot of dealings with older adults and people who care for them. This comprehensive, highly informative manual belongs in the library of anyone interested in quality healthcare for seniors.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good coverage -- but a little dumbed down., March 25, 2007

By	Thomas Kiefer (Boston, Ma) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Merck Manual of Health & Aging: The comprehensive guide to the changes and challenges of aging-for older adults and those who care for and about them (Paperback)

This seems to be an abridgment of all the material found in the Merck Manual home addition of relevance to aging or typical diseases of aging. It is missing some of the detail, and my guess is that there are better books for a more sophisticated older reader, including the Merck Manual itself. It is printed in relatively large type. There is an enormous quantity of common sensical repetition, such as the trope about "people tend to slow down a bit as they age". This mantra is repeated in one form or another every few pages.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a book for every home, August 27, 2006

By	Judy Blank - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Merck Manual of Health & Aging: The comprehensive guide to the changes and challenges of aging-for older adults and those who care for and about them (Paperback)

Everyone should have this book on their book shelf. Well written, comprehensive and clarifies medical questions and concerns. Don't even hesitate for a moment to purchase this book.