LegendaryLife.com Blog

One day, predictably, we will all become elderly if something else doesn’t extinguish are internal flame of life earlier. Most people simply don’t realize how much of an impact this will have not only on their lives but of those around them.

Background

With incredible advances in medicine, treatment and technology in general, it’s now possible to live well beyond our natural life with proper intervention. This causes a conflict as we age, at what point do we allow nature to simply take its course as the medical conditions start to pile on. Do we want a quick death or one that drags on for decades? Do we want to allow our children the power to pull the plug should we no longer be in a condition to make the decision for ourselves? Do we want to burden our family and society with the costs of keeping us alive when there is no hope of reversing the constant onslaught of aging?

Summary

I encourage you to view this video but here is a summary in the meantime:

• Americans who are at least 85 are the fastest growing segment within the population
• medical advances allow longer lifespan but not necessarily better quality as we age
• America becoming a mass geriatric society for the first time in history
• not everybody gets a major disease such as Cancer or Stokes, but all do get a decrease in bodily function with age
• people are dying of chronic diseases and less of infectious diseases which is a reversal
• medical system not set-up to deal with diseases that take time to discover such as acute disease over time
• specialized training in geriatrics is not keeping up with upcoming demand of up to 20% of the population
• many doctors doing house calls to the most fragile who cannot make it to an office, house calls are growing
• expectations from elderly parents are rarely discussed with their children as they age
• most people dream of a quick and simple death but long, painful conditions are rarely taken into account for elderly care
• we all become old but rarely do we consider the ramifications this will have to those around us such as family and friends
• family care giving was once over a few months before death but now, due to advances in medical care, this may last up to several decades
• aged care housing or nursing homes are understaffed and underfunded
• 60% of elderly over 85 now live in nursing homes till their life ends and if they stay over 6 months, they will never leave
• nursing homes are places where some enjoy the social life or wait to die, it depends on perception
• loss of family, friends and independence takes its toll on the aged
• at the end of life, while waiting to die, friends and family become the most important to the elderly
• after 68 years of marriage, Parkinson’s’ and Alzheimer have taken its toll on a relationship, they notice their spouse has changed but not themselves
• in youth, people want to live forever but when they get old, this becomes their greatest fear
• due to large medical advances in geriatrics and their conditions, decisions as to when to stop treatment and allow nature to takes its course are all the more difficult
• most people wish to die at home but end up dying in a hospital
• dementia is a serious condition that occurs with aging that makes medical consent and treatment challenging
• diagnosing conditions in old age with tests often leads to a Pandoras box of other ailments
• death of a parent is a difficult situation for children to take, often leading to prolonged suffering for both involved
• depression and lack of purpose are rampant in the elderly population
• death is still a social taboo rarely discussed until the time comes
• within 25 years, there will be 70 million elderly in the United States

The Bottom Line

Simply wanting to live a long life isn’t good enough, if there is no quality or meaning then it quickly becomes a burden to yourself and those who care most about you.

Reference
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/livingold/view/