Making Rounds with Oscar David Dosa

Making Rounds with Oscar

Author: David Dosa

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Incorporated

Publication Date: 20 January, 2012

ISBN: 9781441721235

Pages:

Subjects: Biographies, Medical, Pets, Nature

Available as: Trade Cloth, 978-1-4013-2323-3 Trade Cloth, 978-1-4104-2547-8 Trade Paper, 978-1-4013-1043-1 Audio Recording Downloadable, 978-1-4417-2123-5 E-Book - Epublication content package, 978-1-4013-9496-7

Description:

Oscar the cat has a very special skill. An otherwise ordinary cat-he'd sooner give you his back or a sideways glance than curl up on your lap-Oscar has the uncanny ability to predict when people are about to die. Adopted by staff members at Steere House nursing home when he was a kitten, the three year-old cat has presided over the deaths of more than twenty-five nursing home residents thus far. His mere presence at the bedside is viewed by physicians and nursing home staff as an almost absolute indicator of impending death – a blessing, really, because it allows staff members to notify families that the end is near. Oscar is highly regarded by the physicians and staff at Steere House and by the families of the residents whom he serves because he provides companionship to those who would otherwise have died alone.When Dr. David Dosa, an attending physician at Steere House, wrote about Oscar in the New England Journal of Medicine, the response was tremendous, with coverage everywhere from Today to People to CNN. Now Dr. Dosa expands his story, using the cat and the stories of several patients to examine end-of-life care as it exists today. Heartfelt, inspiring and sometimes even funny, it allows readers into a world rarely seen from the outside and often misunderstood.

PW Publishers Weekly

Review Source: Publishers Weekly

Review Date: 2009-12-21

Dosa, a geriatrician with a strong aversion to cats, tells the endearing story of Oscar the cat, the aloof resident at a nursing home who only spends time with people who are about to die. Despite hearing numerous stories about Oscar's uncanny ability to predict when a patient's time is nearing, Dosa, ever the scientist, remains skeptical. Slowly, he starts to concede that there may be something special about Oscar. Dosa starts to pay more attention to the cat's decidedly odd behavior, noticing that Oscar seeks out the dying, snuggles with the patient and family members until the patient passes; with others, he smells the patient's feet, sits outside a closed door until admitted, or refuses to leave a dying patient's bed. Dosa discovers how powerfully Oscar's mere presence reassures frightened or grieving family. Ultimately, the good doctor realizes that it doesn't matter where Oscar's gift comes from; it's the comfort he brings that's important. This touching and engaging book is a must-read for more than just cat lovers; anyone who enjoys a well-written and compelling story will find much to admire in its unlikely hero. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved