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Slow medicine - care for seniors

 
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boomerkid



Joined: 06 May 2008
Posts: 5

PostPosted: Tue May 06, 2008 1:59 pm    Post subject: Slow medicine - care for seniors Reply with quote

In case you missed it there is a terrific article in the New York Times about the concept of "slow medicine, or slow care". The idea is that that way too much money and suffering are wasted on invasive and dangerous procedures at the end of life. Many end up causing death or a serious decline in quality of life. So slow medicine is what many gerontologists practice and advise - try to keep the quality of life and dignity over super-human efforts to fix things in one's later years. [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/05/health/05slow.html]For the Elderly, Being Heard about Life's End[/url]
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papajuan



Joined: 24 Jun 2008
Posts: 2

PostPosted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 10:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

what a great idea! My mother and father live in a great CCRC in Fort Myers - Cypress Cove. Whereas their regular doctors are slower to be invasive, every time one of them gets sick and goes to the hospital there is the danger that the medical staff wants to pull out every stop they have. As my sister says, when you go into the hospital they are trying to cure you, even if it kills you. Sometimes it just means saving you so you can back for a while and repeat the whole cycle all over again. Striking a balance is hard - with quality of life at issue.
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myturnnow



Joined: 04 Sep 2008
Posts: 7

PostPosted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 4:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't know about all this. What i've seen is most people, including my parents, want to hang on as long as they can! Whatever it takes
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boomerkid



Joined: 06 May 2008
Posts: 5

PostPosted: Fri Dec 05, 2008 9:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I wish every doctor would at least consider the concept of slow care. It is humiliating and downright dangerous for our aging loved ones to have to go through these aggressive treatments. Sometimes we treat our pets more humanely than our fellow humans
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BarrieByrnes



Joined: 24 Feb 2009
Posts: 7

PostPosted: Mon Mar 02, 2009 3:48 am    Post subject: RE : care for seniors Reply with quote

you are right, i have seen many people's who are taking care of their pets more than they are taking care of their parents, this is very big issue to solve, because once you lost you parents, you will loose everything.
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vividnew



Joined: 08 Mar 2009
Posts: 3

PostPosted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 9:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Maybe it is even ethical question - slow care... Who can consider - to do it quick or do nothing? Sometimes intensive therapy brings less results than if they would not do anything.
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JudithScott



Joined: 25 Mar 2009
Posts: 7

PostPosted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 2:42 am    Post subject: RE : Slow medicine - care for seniors Reply with quote

This is very slow care matter.. i don't think so that if all people will not do something on this than it would be solve early..
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ChalmersD



Joined: 09 Apr 2009
Posts: 3

PostPosted: Thu Apr 09, 2009 7:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

In my opinion slow care is a very good concept and is a human way to take care of elder people. A friend of mine is going to retire soon and is in a very bad physical shape and could need a caretaker soon. He already set up a retirement plan and the good thing is that he can retire with 56 years because he isn't really able to work anymore. I hope that he can enjoy his retirement a few years before his physical problems become too severe.
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