Monday, April 18, 2016

Quiz Apr19

AG ch.4, "Assistance"


1. Your chances of avoiding the nursing home are directly related to what number?

2. What scared Lou? OR, What was it about suburban living with Ton and Shelley that especially disrupted his simple and satisfying routine (described on 81).

3. What is the condition of old age in which the body loses its ability to maintain adequate blood pressure for brain function during changes in bodily position?

4. (T/F) The burdens for today's elder-caregiver have declined from what they were a century ago.

5. What were the residents of the Park Place "living center with assistance" called? (occupants, associates, patients, tenants)  OR, Name something that rose or that fell, at Park Place.

6. Studies show that as people age they focus more on what?  OR, What did Laura Carstensen's research show?  OR, What new perspective did she gain from her accident and slow recuperation?

BONUS: What is the approximate ratio of people in assisted living to people in nursing homes?

BONUS: A colleague told Wilson "we want _____ for ourselves and _____ for those we love."

Stewart Udall

Let's all try to think of examples of people who flourished in the later years of long and constructive lives. I thought first of the late Stewart Udall (1920-2010). His "letter to my grandchildren"* is a priceless model of the kind of wisdom only years can bring...


Inspiring Centenarians Wesley Ernest Brown was born June 22, 1907 and is a U.S. District Court judge who, as of 2010, is the oldest federal judge still hearing cases... (continues)


Life lessons from a nonagenerian ...He's looking forward to his 100th birthday next May, which he hopes to spend with his family... "I feel pretty good about getting older. I may be 99, but I am still learning and experiencing new things everyday. You never stop learning. Age is not just a number, it's a badge of all my life experiences." 


And then there's Buck O'Neil...

Lots of good TED Talks on aging, including this one. "It starts with a plan..."



Anti-vaxx mom abandons movement after all seven of ber kids get whooping cough http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2015/04/anti-vaxx-mom-abandons-movement-after-all-seven-her-of-her-kids-get-whooping-cough/

Paul Offit, nyt - "Bad Faith" - What should happen when parents, acting on religious beliefs, reject medical care for their offspring?



Skeptical Inquirer (@SkeptInquiry)
Paul Offit Reviews Anti-Vaccine Doc 'Vaxxed': A Doctor's Film Review fb.me/10i2KdRIR

DQ (Post yours, please) -

1. If there is a significant gender gap when it comes to assisting one's elderly parents, what can/should be done to close it? Should we view this as a medical issue, or simply a social reality?

2. Lou couldn't understand why Ruth kept smoking, after surviving lung cancer. (80) Do you? How would you have counselled her?

3. If you have a choice, what kind of environment would you prefer to grow old in: city, suburb, small town, country, seaside, mountains...? What daily routine(s) would you find satisfying?

4. Was Jessie's "vision" of home (88-9) reasonable, for most elders in need of living assistance? Would you modify it in any way? Weren't the critics right to worry about locked doors, kitchen utensils, etc.? (91)

5. Does Maslow's hierarchy of needs (93) apply to the elderly? Have you ever had a "NDE" or any other experience that fundamentally altered your perspective on what matters?

6. "So unless supporting people's capabilities is made a priority, the staff ends up dressing people like they're rag dolls." (105)  How do you make curiosity about old people's lives a staff priority, beyond hiring staff with this priority made explicit?

7. Do you know of any Stewart Udalls, any instructive nonagenerians, any inspiring centenarians?

Practical Bioethics (@PracBioethics)
Reclaiming dying: Explore how it could impact physician training & advance care planning. bit.ly/1WpErqi pic.twitter.com/YKSJVJl1kU

40 comments:

  1. A song lyric I heard this morning said "life goes on after the thrill of living is gone". Do you think that if nursing homes and assisted living facilities put "thrills" ii would solve the institutionalized problem?

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    Replies
    1. John Mellencamp. Good listen.

      I would love for where ever I am in my last years to have roller coasters, gun range, weekend hunting/fishing trips.I think it would help the attitude towards "institutional-ism".

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  2. Chris Adereti's DQ: If you had the option of living to 10 years longer than the average American versus living to age 65 without signs of aging, which we you prefer? Why?

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  3. When speaking on self-actualization, what did Maslow argue? That "____ and ____ remain our ____ and ____ goals in life, not least when our options and capacities become limited."

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    Replies
    1. The above post is a quiz question.

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    2. “safety and survival remain our primary and foundational goals in life”

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  4. Assisted living or nursing home? The link below is a news report on how to know what's right for your family.

    http://www.news4jax.com/health/choosing-right-facility-for-aging-loved-ones

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  5. Quiz Question:

    Exactly how did Laura Carstensen and her team track the emotional experiences of the 5 years the study spanned?

    pp. 94

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    Replies
    1. Beeper that asked how they were feeling at the time of the page.

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  7. 1. If there is a significant gender gap when it comes to assisting one's elderly parents, what can/should be done to close it? Should we view this as a medical issue, or simply a social reality?

    I think that this is a hard question to answer because I don't think there is an answer to suffice. Women typically live longer lives then men. I guess it could be seen as a medical issue but what exactly could be done to change it? We have already advanced medicine to push the limits of prolonging life to the extent to the question "Is it worth it?" is now being asked. I think it is a reality that will just have to be accepted. There are scientific facts and studies explaining why men and women have different life spans and I don't see how there could be anything specific done to alter this. I am sure it is frustrating have the child of the opposite sex taking care of you and visa versa but we can't control our genders. If a father only has daughters it will be frustrating and awkward at first but as time goes on the gender differences should become irrelevant when it comes to the care.

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  8. Here is a link of Laura Carstensen discussing her research on TED Talks.

    https://www.ted.com/talks/laura_carstensen_older_people_are_happier?language=en

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  9. I found an article that states that women are more likely to place importance on caring for their elderly parents. It's an interesting look at the subject.
    https://www.agingcare.com/Questions/More-daughters-take-care-of-elderly-parents-142222.htm

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  10. Quiz question: what simple but profound service is still so devastatingly lacking?

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    Replies
    1. “This simple but profound service—to grasp a fading man’s need for everyday comforts, for companionship, for help achieving his modest aims—is the thing that is still so devastatingly lacking more than a century later. ”

      Delete
  11. Quiz question: In the absence of a vast extended family, our elderly are left with a life designed to be safe but _____________? (Fill in the blank)

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  12. The federal government gives a quarter of nursing homes a one star rating. Here is a description of what that means.

    http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/chi-nursing-homes-feb08-story.html

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  13. Quiz Question:
    Who did Keren Wilson originally design her assisted-living home for? Why?

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  14. DQ: Lou couldn't understand why Ruth kept smoking, after surviving lung cancer. (80) Do you?

    A friend of our family came to America in the 90s' at age 79. He left his entire way of life to come here; the only thing he had left was his culture and his cigarettes. Of course, doctors told him to quite, but he kept smoking until he passed away almost twenty years later.
    In my opinion, it would be cruel to rob this man of the only thing that meant a lot to him, regardless of his physical health because his mental health would plummet.

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  16. Quiz Question

    What was Carstensen's hypothesis?

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    Replies
    1. “how we seek to spend our time may depend on how much time we perceive ourselves to have"

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  17. Discussion Question

    Is it dying or dying alone that scares you? Why?

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  19. Discussion Question

    Would you find it demeaning or considerate to have your child set up a playdate for you when you're older (83)? Why?

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  20. DQ:

    Do you agree with the type of assisted living that was presented in the Park Place? Do you view this as dangerous, or view it as allowing the elderly to live freely during their last years?

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  21. QQ:

    What term is at the top of Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs? (93)

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  22. If you have a choice, what kind of environment would you prefer to grow old in: city, suburb, small town, country, seaside, mountains...? What daily routine(s) would you find satisfying?

    If I had a choice as to what environment I may want to grow old in, I would have to choose being able to grow old in either the city or suburban area. My reasoning behind this would be that I just cannot seem to give up all of the comforts and amenities that come with living in a well-urbanized area. As far as satisfying daily routines are concerned, I think being able to have something to constantly do everyday would be the most satisfying in my old age (as opposed to having very little to do in a rural environment, societally speaking). But, who knows? My views/perspectives on this matter may very well change as I age!

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  23. QQ:

    What theory, famously described by Abraham Maslow, stated that people have a certain hierarchy of needs?

    (pg. 93)

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  24. DQ:

    What do you think is the cause for the "shift" in human perspective of what matters most in life as we age?

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  25. Lou couldn't understand why Ruth kept smoking, after surviving lung cancer. (80) Do you? How would you have counselled her?

    The only reason for something like this is because the reason she started smoking in the first place has not been dealt with. As someone who has struggled with addictive behavior I have come to know that there are roots to these things and although lung cancer was obviously linked to it she was still bound to the behavior in a sense. I would have asked her why she smoked and what gave her the urge and then work from there to get to the root of the issue.

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  26. This is a video I found explaining how smokers i affected by nicotine and why quitting is so hard. combined with my post above the reason for Ruth's struggled
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9AmZiI3rNI

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  27. DQ: What environments/cultures/routines have seemed aggressive towards your own adding to discomfort rather than just causing discomfort due to simple difference like in Lou's situation

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  28. Just a comment:
    My grandfather is suffering from demensia, but I feel like he should still be living to the fullest of his capabilities. This weekend I am taking him crappie fishing on the Tennessee River. This is something he has done since he was in high school. He only really catches the "stick-ups" or has his line in knots or dumps the entire cup of bait in the boat, but I can tell that he is having a great time just being out in nature with his grandson. We will fish, drink beer, tell stories (some true, some lies), and have great experience. I believe this is the right thing to do for a man who has given me so much knowledge and support my entire life. I believe everyone has the right to die as they wish and happily if possible once they reach old age.

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  29. DQ answer:

    I would love to live deep in the country, however the only downfall would be not living close to an interstate. I would love to have my own farm and horses.

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  30. Ted talk about dying

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkvKGafoyIY

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  31. DQ: Does losing a spouse onset cancer or other terminal illnesses.
    DQ answer: Suburb. I like the closeness with others but also distance from the rest of society.
    Article: http://dyihttp://dying.about.com/od/thedyingprocess/a/fear_of_death.htmng.about.com/od/thedyingprocess/a/fear_of_death.htm

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