In order to write her book, "Nobody Ever Died of Old Age", Sharon R. Curtin went undercover and pretended to be interested in nursing homes in order to visit the facilities. Curtin's book also offers praise for older people and outrage for their loneliness.*Please note: some sections have been edited out from the original recording due to copyright considerations 

The chair of General Internal Medicine at the University of Chicago, Dr. Christine K. Cassel, discusses gerontology and the problems the field currently faces, such as patient access to, and knowledge of, healthcare. Dr. Cassel is a strong advocate for giving agency back to the patient, primarily by allowing the patient to become knowledgeable of their own health in order to promote successful aging and self-sufficiency when confronted with health concerns. Studs plays “Hello In There” - John Prine (1971).

Don Gold, writer and editor, discusses his book "Bellevue: A Documentary of a Large Metropolitan Hospital." He recounts his time spent following doctors and nurses in Bellevue in New York City and discusses how healthcare has become depersonalized. The conversation involves patients who are dealing with mental illnesses, abortions, attempted suicide and the terminally ill. The interview includes reading of passages from his book.