The "Golden Years"

Last weekend while visiting an old friend who is rehabbing from an almost fatal stroke, I had the opportunity to spend a few hours in a combination nursing home and assisted living home.



Although my friend is slowly improving, it was a very saddening experience.



Actually, it is every old person's horror.



There were only two men that I saw in the facility, my friend and a retired pastor in his 90s. The remainder were little old ladies in various stage of physical and mental health, none of which seemed capable of providing for themselves.

The eyes haunt me. My friend and several of the ladies still had bright eyes...indicating to me, at least, that they still had mental acuity. This was generally proved by conversation.

Other eyes were dull, not bright, and those were the ones that may well have been the best off.

Now my friend appears to be on the way to recovery and escape from the home.

For the others with "bright eyes" there will likely be no escape other than eventual death.

Those with the "dull" eyes? Well, they probably don't appreciate what is going on that much. Their minds have likely already escaped, and their bodies will follow at a later date.

Back in the old days, when we had strong families throughout American society, a place like that would be unheard of. If one's mom or dad, or grandparents got in that shape, they would be taken into a family member's home until they passed on.

Now, however, they are placed in homes like these. And left alone.

Sad.

They way we treat our elderly is certainly a comment on our society the same way as the way we treat our youth is.

Old folks and elderly care

Sorry about my absence, but I have been otherwise occupied, of which more later. (Editor: why are you apologizing? Nobody reads your blog.--I know, I know, but maybe someone eventually will.)

My old friend George has written a piece about the lack of geriatric physicians over at Blog of Ages today. He says there are too few young doctors going into geriatrics, which should be an up and coming specialty since there are so many Boomers reaching retirement age. He is right, of course, but one must consider that with Medicare setting the prices, it is more financially rewarding for the youngsters to specialize in things like anesthesia or heart surgery. He raises an excellent point, but he also got me thinking about another aspect of the problem.

Many of us, I am sure, have been faced with the duty of caring for elderly parents. My sweet wife and I cared for our elderly parents, stricken with everything from Alzheimer's and dementia to stroke, diabetes, and loss of limbs, for nine years. But that is not the end of the story. After having done that, we are now faced with caring for one another during our "Golden Years." This is a future that all of George's Geezers (all of us!) will face. Without enough geriatric physicians.

Many may not be prepared for a sudden end to a spouse's mobility, for whatever reasons, and it is something that every one should contemplate. Are you prepared to deal with it? One had best get ready.

This was brought home to my wife less than four years ago, when I had a quadruple coronary artery bypass and then an aortic dissection, all at the same time. My dear wife, though she had other interests, was my caretaker for several months, and did a fabulous job. People do not realize the stress put upon caretakers in that situation, particularly family. A special halo is due to my bride, and others like her, that give of their time and energy to help others in that condition.

Nearly two weeks ago, my bride got even with me. She fell and fractured a vertebra in her lumbar region. So now I get to repay her, and am doing so. And gladly. No halo expected. I have to get her well so I can get my knees replaced. LOL

So, all you geezers out there be prepared, because it is coming, whether you like it or not.

Having been so somber in this post, I will try to lighten up in subsequent ones. There are lots of good times to be had out there for us retirees, and I recommend that everyone take advantage of them.

More later.