dr. esther aronson recently published* a book entitled “elderhood”.
she writes from decades of medical experience working with older people. some of her patients are in there 60s, others in their 100s. what is clear from a recent interview on national public radio (non-commercial broadcasting in the US)(https://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=732737956) is that there is almost no research to support doctors in treating older people.the situation is probably the same in the UK as it is in the US...more doctors train for paediatrics than geriatrics despite the fact that, on the whole, more care is needed as we age than in the first part of life. in other words, caring for older people just isn’t as sexy as dealing with kids.dr. aronson talks a great deal about medications and the problems faced by older people in the world of medicines.
there is much to be learned in this 35-minute interview. she speaks eloquently about her own eldering process, preceded by a massive burnout. she also talks of her father’s dying and the difficult decisions that needed to be made.her deepest advice is to plan...create advance directives, make clear to those closest to you what you want and what you don’t want. deal with your material possessions as well as your medical needs as best you can. of course, there is always the unexpected, but if there is documentation of your desires, you are more likely to have the treatment you choose.
we cannot know the day of our death. we do know, however, that it will happen. we cannot know the circumstances of our death. however, we can make clear the manner in which we would prefer to die.facing our mortality is a task of the elder. inquiring deeply into our hearts about our values, our commitments, our beliefs can lead us to making the plans that will guide our dear ones and make their tasks a bit lighter.*available in the UK in september, 2019