Have you ever thought about growing older? I have!
What is older? When I was 20, I thought 40 was old. I don’t believe that anymore. I have had the great privilege of working with older adults for many years in my nursing career, both as a bedside nurse and as a nursing administrator. I have met vibrant 93 year olds who stroll the hallways with just a cane. I have also met 68 year olds who are wheelchair bound and debilitated with chronic disease.
The challenges that we face growing older are wide and varied. However, there are commonalities. One is how to face the transition from treating a disease to dying with dignity. Another is the challenges that families, very often the adult children, face as their loved one grows older, weaker and unable to care for themselves. Palliative care and hospice care is available when a cure is no longer realistic. However, these options are often misunderstood and feared by family members. Oftentimes, adult children are busy working, perhaps living far away from their parent, which makes assisting with healthcare concerns and caregiving difficult.
Families have questions. So many valid questions about what will happen next, how will the disease progress. Primary care providers and offices try to assist, but often have time constraints that reduce the amount of care and answers that can be provided. It is difficult for all involved. So what can help?
Know the medications that you take. Keep a list of them.
Know your medical history, including diagnoses and dates of any surgeries.
Know your prognosis.
Bring a list of questions to your doctor appointment.
Call the office if you have a question or use secure healthcare email messaging systems provided by the provider’s office.
If your loved one does not want or cannot call the doctor’s office, be sure to get permission on file for staff to speak with you regarding your loved one’s confidential healthcare.
Sound confusing or overwhelming? Consider having a Nurse Coach involved in your health goals. I can help guide you through the process of understanding your chronic disease and its implications on your life and wellbeing. When treatment seems to be failing, I am willing to help you navigate difficult conversations and decisions. I have cared for many people at the end of their lives. I have witnessed amazing grace and resilience in the face of the end of life. Everyone deserves compassion and dignity throughout their lives and especially at the end. I’d be honored to hear your story and see if I can help.
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