Careers in medicine have taught them the limits of treatment and the need to plan for the end
A recent article by Dr. Ken Murray in the Wall Street Journal discusses the differences in how physicians approach their own end-of-life decisions when confronted with terminal illness. What's unusual about them is not how much treatment they get compared with most Americans, but how little.
Imagine sitting at the office and checking in (on your lunch break of course) to see if mom has opened the medicine cabinet or refrigerator today. Or access your loved ones medical information, including doctor appointments, medication information and more, all in one place. It's possible with inexpensive and easy-to-use mobile technology. With more seniors than ever aging in place, and loved ones living farther away and travelling more, technology can help you stay in touch. Check out the following article to find out about helpful apps and how to use them.
A Roundup of Helpful Apps for Caregivers and Seniors Living Independently
Catherine Graves chronicles her grief and guilt as a caregiver in her memoir, "Checking Out: An In-Depth Look at Losing Your Mind." Graves said she stayed strong during the five months she cared for her husband. But after his death in 2007 from an aggressive brain tumor, Graves declined into depression and anxiety and was eventually treated for post-traumatic stress.
"The mental part of it was the hardest," she told ABCNews.com. "I was so depressed, but I couldn't be depressed because it wasn't about me. I was lonely and scared and the person that I knew had vanished."
While not a scientific fact, I think it’s fair to say that as a group, baby boomers are planners. We think about school options, from kindergarten to college, before kids are even born. We plan vacations with the precision of a military drill. We research, evaluate, and make decisions based on information from friends, search engines, print ads, infomercials, and more. We are information hounds!
But, as the middle part of the sandwich in the sandwich generation, we don’t often put the same effort into planning for the future needs of our parents. We hear the words long-term care, retirement community, rehab and quickly do an about face and head for another latte. I get it. There are a million things to do right now, and it seems there is always more time to think about something we really don’t want to think about!
