Reading Room

Nasty, Brutish & Long by Ira Rosofsky

Nasty, Brutish & Long provides an insider’s candid yet compassionate look at life in nursing homes. Rosofsky shares details of nursing home routines that are both eye opening and poignant. He paints a realistic picture of the lifestyle society has prepared for its older adults, replete with the inherent care plans, indignities, and regulations.

From its humorous perspective, the book introduces readers to nursing home residents whose lives have been transformed by their frailty and dependence on others. Rosofsky’s relationships with his patients highlight the critical need to view elders, despite their physical and mental limitations, as accomplished individuals with personal histories. His intimate knowledge of nursing home culture prompts careful scrutiny of our own futures and the way we’ll spend our final days.