Reference Reviews

Reference Unbound

The Gale Encyclopedia of Senior Health: A Guide for Seniors and Their Caregivers, edited by Jacqueline L. Longe. 5 vols., 2120 pgs. Detroit: Gale Cengage Learning, 2009. ISBN: 978-1-4144-4905-0

Accurate and comprehensive consumer health information remains among the most difficult of things to find on the free Web. Gale's Encyclopedia of Senior Health is designed to meet the information needs of an aging American population. Though its advisory board and many of its authors display medical credentials, its preface states, routinely enough, that the Encyclopedia is to supplement, not replace, physician consultation. It also acknowledges the limitations of its format amidst an ever-changing landscape of modern medicine, through the proviso "only limited treatments were available as of early 2008." (p. 85) Nonetheless, anyone with an older person in the household or immediate family will find the Encyclopedia an irresistible browse. Each well-organized article also provides an informative first stop for individuals or their caregivers following diagnosis with a disease or condition. Affected demographics, causes, symptoms, diagnosis including laboratory tests and imaging procedures, treatments including patient education, therapies, prognosis, preventions, and caregiver concerns, are fully explored. In addition, every entry serves as a clearinghouse to access further information in a variety or formats, and those very up-to-date resources listed would provide a good collection development tool for larger health collections. The boxed banks of questions to ask doctors and pharmacists also encourage individuals to be strong and informed advocates for their own welfare. While the entry on Senior health defines the eponymous age group as "in their 60s and older." (p. 1611), other entries refer to Diet and lifestyle over 50. Whatever the editorial board's working definition of senior, the Encyclopedia does not shy from the changing nature of aging in modern society. There is ample page space granted erectile dysfunction and its treatments, as well as reminders that the physician should make a distinction between progression rates typifying Alzheimer's disease and HIV-associated dementia. Some entries seem to have only tangential relationship to older people, for example, passages on how to prepare toddlers for bone marrow aspiration. Other entries, including the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), health insurance, euthanasia, and driver safety, address aspects relevant to aging populations so thoroughly as to supplement social issues resources. The Encyclopedia is at its most authoritative when it comes to nutrition and dietary interactions. Also strong are its entries on prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals, with information on drug interactions, instructions about making up missed doses of medications, even proper technique for eyedrop instillation. Some of the full-color photographs leave little to the imagination, particularly the illustration accompanying Prostate biopsy. The last of the five volumes features a comprehensive index, which is particularly important because the project has been organized in smaller, related articles instead of longer single entries; those reading about Breast cancer in volume 1, for instance, will probably want volumes 3 and 4 to consult Lumpectomy, Mammograms, Mastectomy and Metastisis. The 70-page glossary effectively serves as a standalone medical dictionary. An invaluable resource for any public library.