Aged care doctor makes debut as author

The new pocket-sized publication, The Aged Care Book, is a short, easy to read and understand book for seniors and their families that reflects on Dr Rees’ more than 10 years learnings, experiences, knowledge and life lessons as a General Practitioner in the aged care sector.

Dr Rees, who is also one half GenWise Health, says he wrote The Aged Care Book for the families of the patients he cares for and that it is aimed at informing families of the important ‘need to knows’ when caring for a someone in old age – with the book covering common issues that people are faced with when a loved one moves into aged care.

“Increasingly I was feeling that I didn’t have the time to go through the many issues that are so important to good care for older people,” Dr Rees explains.

“Working everyday in aged care, meeting families who were frustrated by the lack of information available about how to advocate for their family, was what spurred me on to finish The Aged Care Book.

“I would drive home at the end of the day and know exactly what I wanted to write about.”

Dr Rees says his initial intention was to put together a FAQ sheet, but says he found it hard to stop writing once he started.

“I began writing in 2016 and it has been a long process,” he explains.

“The writing process largely revolved around brainstorming key topics and issues that families face in everyday life when caring for an older person or experienced when visiting aged care facilities.

“I spent a lot of time putting myself in their shoes and really trying to isolate the key information that I could focus on to include in The Aged Care Book that would give the most benefit.”

The Aged Care Book also includes a number of case studies from Dr Rees’ years as an aged care General Practitioner.

“The cases of Jim, Beryl and Max are designed to illustrate key messages,” he says.

“I believe that people are able to relate more easily to real life examples and so I have included the cases to provide a context to what I am trying to say.”

Though the book has only just ‘hit the shelves’, Dr Rees says the level of support and feedback so far has been very encouraging.

“I have received some really lovely feedback so far and it feels just wonderful to have The Aged Care Book out there finally,” he explains.

“It’s designed for families caring for older people but I encourage older people absolutely to read it too.

“I think anyone can read The Aged Care Book and come away with a greater understanding of the challenges of growing old but also feeling more empowered to live wholeheartedly, acknowledging that this is a stage in life that we all will hopefully experience ourselves.”

Registered Nurse and Manager of Parkrose Village, Lifecare Ann-Marie Hogan knows Dr Rees from his patient visits at the facility and has praised him and his new book.

“Dr Rees’ book is an easy to read guide [and] it is written in simple terms so as to reassure the reader, not confuse or frighten them with medical terminology,” she explains.

“The book provides reassurance to families and a better understanding of what to expect when end of life approaches.

“Several staff have read the book and found them a validation of the care they provide [and] families will be encouraged to read the book so they have a better understanding of what happens toward end of life in aged care.”

Dr Rees’ The Aged Care Book is available online or in Dillons Norwood Bookshop in South Australia.