Breaking Out of Bedlam, a new book written by Leslie Larson, and featured in The New York Times, is getting mention amongst some aging professionals, because of the novel’s setting, an assisted living facility. Cora Sledge, the 82-year-old main character, is placed in the Palisades, an assisted living facility, by her children. Horrified by this, Cora sets out to find her revenge through a tell-all journal she writes that reveals past secrets. The product description reads:

In entries that are profane, profound, and gossipy, she chronicles her childhood in rural Missouri, her shotgun wedding, and the terrible event that changed the course of her life. Intermingled with her reminiscences is an account of the day-to-day dramas at The Palisades—her budding romance with a suave new resident, feuds with her tablemates, her rollicking camaraderie with the man who oversees her health care, and the sinister cloud of suspicion that descends as a series of petty crimes sets everyone on edge. The story builds to a powerful climax as Cora’s revelations about her past mesh with the unraveling intrigue in the present.

I have not read the book yet, but early reviews promise the novel to be a humorous take on a strong, stubborn woman’s final years within a long-term care setting. If I’m to enjoy Breaking Out of Bedlam, I’ll need to temporarily set aside my immediate disdain for the book’s title, where an assisted living facility is referred to as “bedlam”, an indication that other, potentially harmful language toward elders and the aging industry is likely throughout the novel. Perhaps through this suspension of my disdain over the harmful language I’ll manage to find the humor the author intends.

Have you read the book? What did you think?

I suspect many of you that follow aging news have heard about nursing home immersion programs where, typically a college student, volunteers to enter a nursing home for a certain period to live life as though they were a “regular” resident. The idea is simple – experience first hand what the experience might be like for elders that reside there 365 days a year.

It was only a matter of time before someone tried to replicate the experience only through lower levels of care, i.e. assisted living and retirement communities. Steve Gurney, a 43-year old, is doing that now as a “resident” of Paul Spring Retirement Community in Alexandria, Virginia. His focus is to try experiencing the emotions and feelings residents may feel as they transition to new housing. After this project he intends to reside in a nursing home, an independent living community for low-income seniors and an Alzheimer’s specific residential facility.

Steve is journaling his experience at www.everyoneisaging.com. You can watch his first video on the project below.