Health and Wellbeing in Late Life

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xxv

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2. Understanding Frailty: The Science and Beyond

   • Prasun Chatterjee

   Pages 1-20Open Access

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3. Living with Failing Memory: A Caregiver’s Perspective

   • Prasun Chatterjee

   Pages 21-36Open Access

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4. Panorama of Cancer

   • Prasun Chatterjee

   Pages 37-62Open Access

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5. Meaningful Engagement: An Option or Not

   • Prasun Chatterjee

   Pages 63-74Open Access

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6. Constipation: More than Just “A Symptom”

   • Prasun Chatterjee

   Pages 75-92Open Access

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7. Fall: A Geriatric Syndrome with Endless Agony

   • Prasun Chatterjee

   Pages 93-108Open Access

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8. Stroke, Premorbid Status and Resilience

   • Prasun Chatterjee

   Pages 109-128Open Access

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9. Discussion About Sexual Health: Is It Age Inappropriate?

   • Prasun Chatterjee

   Pages 129-146Open Access

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10. To Treat or Not to Treat

    • Prasun Chatterjee

    Pages 147-163Open Access

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11. Successful Ageing: An Opportunity and Responsibility for All

    • Prasun Chatterjee

    Pages 165-195Open Access

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This open access book takes a multidisciplinary approach to provide a holistic understanding of late old age, and situates the aged person within the context of family, caregivers, clinical and other institutions. All through the book, the author discusses preparedness for an aging individual as well as the society in the Indian context. The book highlights inevitable but mostly neglected health issues like depression, dementia, fall, and frailty and provides detailed analyses of solutions that are practicable in low resource settings. It also brings up intergenerational differences and harmony in the context of holistic care of older Indians. 


Alongside clinical perspectives, the book uses narratives of elderly patients to dwell on the myriad of problems and issues that constitute old age healthcare. Demonstrating cases that range from the most influential to the most underprivileged elderly in India, the book enlightens multiple caregivers—doctors, nurses, and professional caregivers as well as family members—about the dynamic approach required in dealing with complex issues related to late old age. The narratives make the book relatable and interesting to non-academic readers, with important lessons for gerontological and geriatric caregiving. It is also of use to older adults in preparing for active aging. 

• Open Access
• meaningful engagement in late old age
• dependency and frailty
• caregiver support
• intergenerational interaction
• hip fracture in old age
• end-of-life decisions
• life support
• successful aging
• depression and suicide in old age

“With this wonderful and thoughtful book about aging, full of compassion and wisdom that will serve many generations, Dr Prasun Chatterjee brings warmth and scholarship, in equal measure, to a subject that is both difficult and urgently needs examination. A must read book.” (Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee, Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, USA, Recipient of Padma Shri Award in 2014 and Pulitzer Prize in 2011) 

“The book brings the high-stakes challenge of aging to life – through the eyes of a skilled, experienced, observant, and empathetic geriatrician.” (Professor David E. Bloom, Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA) 

“A very well written book about the challenges one faces with Aging. Prasun Chatterjee in a compassionate manner takes the reader through many issues ranging end of life care to how to conquer the aging of frailty." (Professor Randeep Guleria, Director, AllIndia Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi)

• Department of Geriatric Medicine, AIIMS, New Delhi, India

  Prasun Chatterjee

Dr Prasun Chatterjee, M.D., is Assistant Professor at the Department of Geriatric Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi. He is one of the few trained elderly care physicians in India and a member of the Indian Academy of Geriatrics. He has worked extensively in the field of geriatrics and gerontology, and has multiple publications on important geriatric concerns like frailty syndromes, Alzheimer’s disease, osteoporosis and other geriatric syndromes. He was awarded the best paper at Gericon 2009. His academic background ranges from his training in psychiatry, pulmonology, to M.D. in Geriatric Medicine from Madras Medical College, and this has given him a broad base to holistically approach his elderly patients. He is a founder president of a non-profit organization, Healthy Aging India, which has a vision to provide dignity and autonomy to elderly through intergenerational empowerment. He has been given the Pride of Chennai award for his community service by Padmashree Professor V.S. Natarajan. 

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