Everyday Choices

Focusing on Gerardo, a 75-year-old diabetic with high blood pressure and early dementia who is still working as a night watchman, Ben Achtenberg and Christine Mitchell's Everyday Choices takes viewers through the home healthcare world of funding cuts, medical decisions, and lifestyle choices. The medical powers-that-be don't think Gerardo should still be driving, or that his job is particularly well-suited to his condition, but the salty septuagenarian defends his continued employment by observing, "I need the money." Eventually, healthcare budget cuts reduce Gerardo's contact with Allison, the visiting nurse he has come to depend on, and Gerardo eventually goes missing after refusing his insulin. Although Allison finds him, still seemingly healthy, albeit with raging blood sugars, the program ends with Gerardo's healthcare plan up in the air. Gerardo's family, Allison, a doctor, nursing supervisors, a consulting neuropsychologist, and medical ethicists have all been involved in Gerardo's case, but many questions remain. Should they continue to help him maintain his independence, ignoring potential problems with his driving or the possibility of something happening to him when he's at work--alone--at night? Where should Allison's involvement in Gerardo's life end, and what role should Gerardo's family be expected to play? These are tough, but increasingly common, concerns as society's medical capabilities outpace many individuals' ability to pay for them. An affecting profile that raises serious questions, this is recommended for family education, geriatrics, and general healthcare studies collections. Aud: C, P. (M. Tribby)