End of Life Dilemmas Archives - Page 4 of 7 - Aging, caregiving and the journey through the second half of life

A New Dilemma of Aging: Nursing Homes Refusing To Admit Obese Patients

December 16, 2015

This article is a bellwether warning for older adults about who may and may not be offered a bed in a nursing home in a society with an epidemic morbid obesity. As the authors summarize: “Obesity is redrawing the common…

A Few Words of Advice on Choosing a Retirement Community

December 10, 2015

When considering a retirement community, most potential residents and their families inquire about: 1. Types of accommodations (independent living, assisted living). This should also include information about the community’s financial strength. 2. Amenities (wellness resources, enrichment programs). This should also…

No Easy Way Out

December 5, 2015

In working with our aging parents, we encounter predictable dilemmas with no easy way out. Here is a personal story that echoes a common theme I hear about from adult children. As my mother approached 90 and despite increasing frailty…

Transition Assets: The Boomers Arriving At 70

November 30, 2015

“We neither get better or worse as we get older, but more like ourselves” ……Robert Anthony Beginning in 2016, the boomers will be landing on the shore of seventy something. While turning 70 is still officially classified as “young-old,” there…

Rethinking Solo Caregiving For A Spouse

November 24, 2015

Solo caregiving for a spouse takes a toll on both parties. What starts out as act of compassion and loyalty can deteriorate into a role that exceeds the best efforts of one person. Unfortunately, the stress of day to day…

Old Age is the Stage

November 18, 2015

Art is the great decoder of unintelligible worlds like old age. In psychology we call this decoding ‘sensemaking’ and the plays about aging in this splendid article are sensemaking at its finest. As important, they give old age a humanizing…

The Untenable Promise

November 14, 2015

Older adults fear nursing homes more than death itself. Those of us waiting to be old fear it right along with them. When asked to promise to never to put an aging parent in a nursing, we do not hesitate.…

Transitional Care Mind Map

October 27, 2015

Moving an aging parent back home from institutional care is complicated and stressful. For a successful transition, families need a better way to understand the scope, moving parts, and planning steps. This integrative big picture allows them to assess their…

Anything But Dementia

October 23, 2015

The question “What Genuinely Terrifies You?” was posed on Reddit and the overwhelming consensus was not war, cancer or being destitute. It was dementia. One responder who goes by the name of Poem_for_you Sprog commented in verse, a sentiment that…

The End of Life Dilemma

October 11, 2015

The question of how much care at the end of life is a dilemma with no easy answers. Ultimately, it is best approached by understanding the patient’s perspective within the context of his or her family: What does the patient…