Literary Exemplars of Illness

Abstract

Creative literature is replete with examples of individuals who suffer from various maladies commonly presented by the older patient. Although the literary descriptions of these afflictions may be imprecise in their clinical evaluations of specific illnesses, these case histories provide the clinical educator with a means for personalizing scientific accounts of geriatric ailments by demonstrating their impact and effects on specific people. This study probes two reference works on the literature of aging and older adults to identify works that address physical and mental illness. These works provide an ample set of literary exemplars of common maladies suffered by older adults. Suggestions for their curricular inclusion are provided. Four appendices contain specific bibliographic materials for the introduction of literature into an allied health curriculum.

Key Words:

• Applied literature
• curriculum
• geriatric case histories
• humanities
• personalization of clinical cases

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Frank Nuessel

Jennifer R. Johnson was a graduate student in the School of Occupational Therapy, Texas Woman's University, Houston, TX at the time of this study. She is currently employed as an Occupational Therapist at Touro Infirmary in New Orleans, LA

Debra Stewart is Lecturer, School of Rehabilitation Science, McMaster University and staff therapist at Erinoak Centre, Missis-sauga, Ontario. She is currently completing a MSc (Design, Measurement and Evaluation) at McMaster University.