“I love it when I see a glimmer of recognition in her eyes,” says John of his 91-year old mother. She’s succumbing to dementia and rarely even recognizes John. He takes it in stride, and finds ways to connect – which has taken some experimenting: “I found that remembering childhood routines worked. I asked my […]
Dr Michael Gordon on playing music together, information vs knowledge and sex.
What a wonderful wide-ranging conversation with Dr. Michael Gordon, Geriatrician, Writer, and Ethicist. Not necessarily in that order. His terrific and highly readable book, Moments that Matter: Cases in Ethical Eldercare was the basis for us talking – but the good doctor rose to the occasion when I put forward my belief about decision-making: it’s […]
Retirement: what does it mean ‘in real life’?
What does Retirement mean to you and your parents? For many of our parents, leading a disciplined productive life was an expectation, and was necessary to keep body and soul together. But now, with so many living so much longer, retirement can loom like a life sentence. The emptiness of days unfilled can be depressing […]
Multiple Health Conditions and Doctors who Listen
Almost 3 in 4 individuals aged 65 years and older have multiple chronic conditions Journal of American Medical Association My father-in law is one of them: he has ‘multiple chronic conditions’. High blood pressure, heart failure, high cholesterol, glaucoma – all of which are treated with prescription meds,. He also suffers (and I do mean […]
Oral Care: in eldercare,the mouth is often overlooked
Our mouth – so important for so many reasons – seems overlooked, dismissed, ignored in its role in overall health and well-being. Consider the work we expect from our mouth: in addition to the vital task of eating (and all that’s required from lips, tongue, teeth, cheeks) there’s the impact of talking, coughing, sneezing and even […]