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    Making Rounds with Oscar
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    Making Rounds with Oscar
    Unavailable
    Making Rounds with Oscar
    Audiobook6 hours

    Making Rounds with Oscar

    Written by David Dosa

    Narrated by Ray Porter

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    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.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBlackstone Audio
    Release dateFeb 2, 2010
    ISBN9781441721174
    Unavailable
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    Reviews for Making Rounds with Oscar

    4/5

    326 ratings93 reviews

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    • 4/5
      A very sweet and well-written book. Making the Rounds with Oscar will humble its readers, and get them in touch with their own mortality, yet leaves room for the hope of a beautiful and long life. I went into this book expecting more about the cat than what was written of him. Still, what word are devoted to Oscar (and there is still plenty) leave readers knowing an amazing cat who is truly helping and comforting people. Not to mention his instincts are both fascinating and bewildering.
    • 4/5
      Not extraordinarily enlightening about how Oscar (the cat) determines when someone with Alzheimer's is about to die. It's possible that the ketones exhaled during the final failure of a person's body change. What the author does do well is describe how the families of the dying people differ in their emotions and reactions during that process. One point made that's quite clear is that animals offer comfort and companionship for those who are dying and those who are suffering while watching. The quotes beginning each chapter are wonderful.
    • 5/5
      Dr. David Dosa was a non-believer. He didn't like cats. He was a dog person. Oscar can't know when a person is dying, he’s just one of several strays that lives in a nursing home. But maybe it’s true…Oscar not only comforts dying nursing home residents with dementia, but he also touches the lives of the family members who are left behind as well as the staff at the nursing home where he resides. Dr. Dosa’s book documents his quest to find out about Oscar’s gift by interviewing family members who lost their loved ones on Oscar's watch. The book also explains the stages of dementia which is very informative for people who are affected by this debilitating illness. Thank you to Early Reviewers for the opportunity to review this book.
    • 5/5
      A truly wonderful, but eye-opening, book. My family has had several cases of dementia, and I've never known what to do about it or how to cope. In all honesty, I just avoided it and the people it affected. I was wrong. That isn't the way to go about it, and I regret not spending time with those family members before they passed. So thank you, Dr. Dosa and Oscar.
    • 3/5
      This book was not what I expected. Oscar really only played a minor role in the story. The book was mostly about Dr. Dosa learning how family members dealt with dementia patients. Animal therapy, being one method of coping. The stories were personal and interesting and I liked the writing style. I learned a lot through Dr. Dosa's personal journey, but I would have liked to hear more stories about Oscar. He is the reason I purchased the book.
    • 4/5
      I love this book!
    • 5/5
      Oscar is a cat who lives in an Alzheimer's ward in a Providence, RI facility. The thing about Oscar is that he knows when a patient is going to die and arrives at the person's side, staying with them until they pass. Dr. David Dosa, who works as a gerontologist at the facility, was highly skeptical of Oscar's ability to sense forthcoming death and started interviewing family members whose loved ones had died under Oscar's care. Suffice it to say that Dosa became a believer in Oscar, even if he believes in no other higher power. The book is full of wonderful stories and also contains much useful information for dealing with dementia patients. As someone who is a caregiver for her elderly mother, I found the book quite helpful despite the fact that my mom does not have dementia. It's a quick read and I highly recommend it.
    • 5/5
      Dr. David Dosa is a geriatrician who at the age of four was terrorized by his grandmother's cat Puma. He is a man of science who seeks rational answers. He is a dog person. He is aware of the cats who reside at Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center where he helps to care for dementia patients in their last days but pays no real attention to the cats. He genuinely enjoys his work and has a great deal of respect and compassion for his patients as they "unlearn" almost everything they ever knew. Only music, babies and animals still get their attention.Oscar is not a people cat; he tends to hide rather than socialize with most people. One day Mary Miranda, the day shift nurse, mentions Oscar's ability to identify which patient is going to die. Dosa is skeptical but agrees to talk to the families of patients that Oscar spent time with. As he interviews the spouses or children of former Steere House residents, Dosa learns that Oscar provides a real service not just to the dying (who are often unaware of his presence) but to the grieving family members who must learn to deal with their loss. Not only does he alert the nursing staff of an imminent death in time for the family to be notified, but he remains with the patient and family thru the entire process, only leaving after the undertaker has left. Many of the people Dosa spoke to said they were so grateful to Oscar for being with them during such a difficult time in their lives. Even Dosa comes to realize that when his time comes he would rather be in a nursing home with cats than in a hospital ICU.My only disappointment with this book is that it did not contain any pictures of Oscar or the other nursing home cats. This is a gentle book and a welcome addition to the libraries of anyone who cares about animals or elder care.
    • 5/5
      I don't usually read this type of book. I heard about Oscar the cat in the news media awhile back and was curious about the story. It gave insight on the bond between humans and animals, how comforting they are to the patient and their family. Even with dementia, the patient may not relate or recognize the family but can relate to the cats at the facility. The Facility physician, as he follows the stories of the families and witnesses Oscar in action, becomes a believer in Oscar's ability to know when a patient is dying.
    • 4/5
      This book was recommended to me by sister-in-law, Roxanne. She read it at a time in her life when her mother was dying from Alzheimer's disease. I found the extraordinary ability of the cat, Oscar, in detecting when a person is near death and having a calming effect on the person fascinating. Animals are far more in tune with our limitations that we give them credit for.
    • 3/5
      I recently finished reading "Oscar". Easy read. Each chapter (4-6pages) depicts a different family's psyche while dealing with a loved one suffering with dementia...enter "Oscar" who appears at one's deathbed. This story is a brief insight of the disease --patient, caretaker (both medical and family), author of this book (who is a doctor at a nursing home caring for patients with dementia), and Oscar, the cat, who brings a peaceful, calming influence (not sure of the right word to use here) at the end of life. Not having any real exposure myself with anyone 'up front and personal' with this disease, this book gave me a birdseye view of the disease (sad, ugly disease). I think it would be most appealing to a select audience.
    • 3/5
      A second book lent to me by my cat loving friend. This is as much about cats, and more about disease (alzheimers and dementia) and death as it is about Oscar. It is a book on how people cope a family member's diagnose. It does comment on the American health system, and how is it letting dementia patients down but I am sure those comments could apply to many other countries. But it is about caring for people in the last days who are dying of these awful disease and the comfort an cat can give, both to the dying and their families.
    • 5/5
      I picked up this book because I am a cat lover and I believe that some cats have healing qualities. While I was fascinated to read about Oscar's gift of being able to sense impending death and provide comfort to family members of the dying, this book was about so much more than just an extraordinary cat. Written by a doctor who works with Alzheimer and dementia patients, the stories in this book are eye-openers into not only what the patient experiences but more so how family members have to come to terms with the terrible reality of watching a loved one unlearn everything they once knew. It provided me with a deep compassion and new understanding of a disease I knew little about. Dr Dosa also touches on the many difficult decisions that family members encounter throughout the slow onset and subsequent long downward path of these diseases. Death is portrayed gently and lovingly and becomes somewhat a release and relief for the sufferer. I read this book in two sittings.
    • 4/5
      Making Rounds with Oscar is a lovely story about a geriatrician working at a nursing home for patients with end stage dementia. Shared with us are the tales of some of his patients and their families lives and how they have been affected by the disease. The nursing home is also home to several cats and other animals that provide comfort and companionship to the patients. Oscar, one of the cats, appears to have the amazing ability to tell when someone is about to die and sits vigil with them during their last moments. It was an uplifting and inspiring read. Be sure to keep a box of tissues near by.
    • 5/5
      The instincts and intuitive abilities of animals are long debated, yet proven. After meeting Oscar, even skeptical Dr. Dosa will now agree with that.Dr. Dosa began his rounds at the retirement home quite skeptical of the stories of such things as animal intuition and the power of pets. Yet those who knew Oscar knew of his power to know who needed him and were quite protective of Oscar and his gift. He was a special member of the staff.Over time, Dr. Dosa bonded with patients and their families and the nurses at the facility. Eventually he bonded with Oscar, as well. As he did he could no longer deny Oscar's gift. It was not only a gift that Nature had bestowed on Oscar, but one that Oscar bestowed on those who needed comforting.No one can deny that Oscar comforted many people. He had a sense who needed it the most, and that is where he stayed, easing their final days on earth. He was a constant presence with those that were dying and their families, as well.Dr. Dosa learned the power of Oscar's extraordinary gift and finally accepted it and Oscar. And Dr. Dosa was comforted, too.
    • 4/5
      What I enjoyed most about this book was the thoughtfulness given to the topic of end-of-life. There is much emotion around death, memory loss, aging. Dr. Dosa approaches these states with compassion but also with reason. I got the sense that he was able to think through all sides of the situation when advising patients and their families - what is the most good, especially for the patient? Oscar was interesting but I was most surprised that families didn't fear him as the "death cat" but found comfort in his attention as their loved one prepared to die.
    • 3/5
      I read this in one sitting (on an airplane) and it really passed the time. Not great writing but a lovely story. Nursing homes with cats - great idea. One cat in particular seems to know when people are dying and is a comfort to the dying and to the family. The author tells the story of a number of families and thier losees while he tries to determine if and how this cat knows when people are dying.
    • 4/5
      I do believe Oscar was included in this book because otherwise there would be little readership for an objective book about dementia and end of life care. Dr. Dosa covers presentation of dementia and a little interesting bit about diagnosis. It never occurred to me that people would actually "cram" for their visit to the doctor. But, no one wants bad news, and I guess until you actually have the diagnosis, you can tell yourself you just have normal age related memory loss (which Dosa says doesn't exist, yikes!) One man wrote pages of answers to anticipated questions his doctor might ask: What year is it? What season is it? Who is the president, the governor? Despite going over these questions for hours with his wife he still got them wrong. As a family member said, a person can't learn new things while his brain is busy unlearning. He talks about resistance of family members to accept the inevitable progression of the disease. A couple of people said that they had to give up thinking their loved one was the same mother, father who had raised them so lovingly and just had to fall in love anew with this entirely new person. He discusses the lack of funding for nursing home care, and gives a gut wrenching description of what "do everything" at the end of life can mean, and how fruitless such costly and invasive tests and treatment can be. He discusses the eventual acceptance family members must achieve as the disease progresses, not the acceptance the patient herself must achieve. And then there's black and white Oscar the cat, one of 6 in Dosa's facility, but this one somehow knows when someone will die and sits vigil with the patient and family for the last hours and until mortuary representatives come to remove the body. I hope Dosa is a better doctor than writer, but the book is still interesting and informative.
    • 3/5
      Tells the story of a rest home for dementia patients, in which Oscar the Cat provides an early warning system when a patient's death is near. Told by one of the doctors at the rest home, it was less about Oscar the Cat than I was expecting, actually, and much more about how we as a society deal with dementia in particular and death in general. Quite sobering at times (especially as my great aunt is in this exact situation), and moving at others.
    • 5/5
      An excellent insight into end of life woven around the story of Oscar, the cat who sits by people's bedsides as they are dying.
    • 3/5
      I thought this book was just ok... I wasn't expecting the tone to be so solemn! I also work in a nursing home with several dementia-sufferers, so I can connect with the author on that level. I was hoping the book would be more light-hearted, though. Definitely a downer..
    • 4/5
      This book was an inspirational read. Marley and Me lovers will enjoy this fabulous tale of a feline who touches patients' lives.
    • 2/5
      i was rather unimpressed with this book.what i did enjoy were the biographical stories about the patients in the nursing home and how their various ailments affected their relationships and families. i felt that the book was not as cohesive as it could have been. oscar and his "death visits" were not the central theme. it seemed to me that dementia was a more apparent undercurrent of the book.interesting information from a doctor's perspective, but it could have been boiled down to an article rather than a book.
    • 5/5
      This was a good book with stories from the doctor, staff, and family of the patients about the cat that provided comfort for the patients in the nursing home.
    • 2/5
      Oscar is the typical cat. He only comes around when it wants something. And what this cat wants is to spend the last moments with dying folks in Hospice care. Dr. Dosa has written a book that will make you think about how we treat our own elderly/dying. We rarely have time for the dying.
    • 5/5
      Oscar is a cat that lives on the third floor of a nursing home. The third floor is where the patients with end stage Alzheimer's live. Oscar is a typical cat. He doesn't want to be bothered most of the time and he will sleep in out of the way places...until a patient is about to die. Then Oscar lays on the bed, against the patient's leg. and remains there until the patient dies, usually within a few hours after Oscar arrives. Oscar seems to know better than the doctors and nurses as to when a patient is about to pass away.This book is an easy read and a great read. I found myself falling in love with Oscar and wishing he was at the nursing home where mom is staying. If you have a loved one in the nursing home, (or if you don't), then a few sections may cause you to shed a few tears, but the book is well written and a must for cat lovers.
    • 4/5
      Cute book about cats, almost made me want to get one. Good lessons learned about caring for and loving people with dementia.
    • 4/5
      Oscar is a cat with an extraordinary sense of intuition, in knowing when a person's final hours are coming. He amazes the staff at the nursing home where he "works", as well as Dr. Dosa, who specializes in working with dementia patients. Dr. Dosa's curiousity is sparked by this cat (curiousity, cat--haha!) and he sets out on a mission to find out if Oscar is helping or hurting the families of these terminally ill patients. Dr. Dosa speaks with several family members to learn that not only was Oscar a comfort in the final hours, but so much more about the backgrounds of the patients and their caregivers, and the difficulties of caregiving. I really enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to anybody, especially those who have a family member with dementia. Even if you are not the caregiver, it will give you some insight into the difficulties of making the decision to transfer to a long-term care facility when the patient's needs require it.
    • 4/5
      If you decide to read this book expecting to hear about all the people whose deaths Oscar "predicted" you'll be sadly disappointed. True, this book is about Oscar, but it's also about so much more.It's about how he acted around those about to die. It's about the people suffering from late stage dementia and the other health issues the elderly have. It's about how the relatives of the people who died reacted towards Oscar, and the ways that they dealt with the impending and eventual loss of a loved one.While I would have liked to have read a little more about Oscar, I'm still glad I read this book. It gave me a glimpse into the world of dementia and health issues of the elderly in a way that I hadn't ever really looked at it before. My only real experience with it was through the death of my grandmother who suffered many of the same things people in this book did, but she did it at home being cared for by my grandfather, several family members, and some outside help.As with all books, this one won't be enjoyed by everyone, but I think it's a worthwhile read if you're interested in learning more about issues of the elderly.Disclaimer: This book was received as part of the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program which sends out free books to members to be read and reviewed.
    • 4/5
      Making Rounds With Oscar on the surface would appear to be a book about the amazing true story of Oscar, a cat that lives in a nursing home and seems to sense when residents are about to die. In reality, the book is more about the hardships, small triumphs, and the dignities afforded to people in the late stages of dementia. David Dosa MD provides several beautiful and tragic stories of people with the disease and their loved ones, framed by their stories of being touched by Oscar. If you read, bring a tissue.