Archive for the 'Manage Aging' Category
Hospitals and elders
Two conversations I had with older people last week touched on their concerns about losing family doctors to retirement. Their only option for care is to go to clinics and consult with a different doctor each time, eliminating any chance for a genuine doctor-patient relationship. The Vancouver Sun headline on Friday, Nov. 2, 2007 suggests the key to elder care is avoiding hospitals and features a soon-to-retire doctor who cares for frail, housebound seniors. The article (by Gillian Shaw) prompted conversation with a friend who works in health care and frequently sees people like those profiled.
An older person needing help, puts out a call — and waits. If they have family, they wait for them to make the long drive from the office to help, or to somehow squeeze space out of a demanding day. If they don’t have family or really good friends, their storyline is much tougher because our system isn’t set up to provide what they need. And instead of getting better, the system is getting worse. Our first line of defense will come, not from the formal system, but from developing our own systems with the people closest to us.