Being Mortal  ch. 2

In a sense, the advances of modern medicine have given  us two revolutions : what are they? ( 29)

Podcast: The Long Tail, the Lottery and “Being Mortal”

March 2, 2015, 12:39 pm ET by Patrice Taddonio

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/health-science-technology/being-mortal/podcast-the-long-tail-the-lottery-and-being-mortal/

"“Nothing is more threatening to who you think you are than a patient whose problems you can’t solve,” Gawande says.

Socialized Medicine - Topic for my presentation.

http://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/hard-lesson-about-socialized-medicine

Peripatetic Discussion 4/2/2015

Mason, Wesley, Graham and I walked over to the Science Building and then to the Walnut grove next to Peck Hall.  As we were walking, we discussed whether or not an elderly person should have his or her driver's license taken away.  We talked about how it would take away the person's independence, but we also agreed how it would be a necessary decision if the older person was a danger to other motorists and pedestrians.  We devised a hypothetical process of where once a person reaches the age of 70, they must take a driving test every few years to maintain their license.  Overall, we think that an elderly person should maintain their right to drive, but if they are a danger to those around them, then they should give up that independence.

On informing a patient of a terminal illness...

I think this issue is best broached on a very patient-dependent basis. Some patients may be more sensitive to such language, while others may appreciate the blunt truth. This goes back to something I believe cannot be taught in healthcare, and that is the ability of a physician to quickly gauge what type of communication that patient would prefer (in a way, the "politics" of healthcare).

Geriatric realism

FQ: Elderly of the industrial did not ______ economically and were not ________ to be left on their own.

DQ: If you were a doctor, would you tell the patient he or she is dying? If so, how?

How Doctors Tell Patients They're Dying

"Don't use euphemisms," said Grodin, who teaches his students to say "died" and never "passed away" in situations of emergency room traumas. "You have to use the words 'terminal illness' and explain it's quite serious."

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/MindMoodNews/story?id=4402744

Being Mortal: The Independent Self 4/2/2015

FQ:  Veneration of elders has been replaced with veneration of what in modern times? (AG 22)

DQ:  To what point should the elderly maintain independence?  At what point is it acceptable to take away the driver's license?

Here is a relevant article explaining how to care for elderly family members.  It also explains how to talk about the issue with them and maintain their independence.

http://www.state.gov/m/dghr/flo/c23133.htm

Quiz and DQ Questions - 4/02/2015

FQ's

1) What would have been Sitaram Gewande's fait had he been in the USA?
2) Which country was the first on Earth to have over 100 million elderly people?
3) How have aging-related demographics changed over the past 200 years?

DQ

1) Do we treat the elderly in the United States with the respect they deserve?

Cultural issues surrounding aging...

https://www.boundless.com/psychology/textbooks/boundless-psychology-textbook/human-development-14/adulthood-74/aging-how-culture-and-society-impact-the-elderly-293-12828/

Technology and the Aging population... Not always a bad thing????

Interesting thought regarding technology and the aging population. http://www.ejhi.net/ojs/index.php/ejhi/article/view/23

Looking after the aged!

Do you agree with Atul Gawande's father, should we have to take care of our parents?

http://www.debate.org/opinions/should-adults-be-responsible-for-their-elderly-parents-care

Obama claims that the Affordable Care Act was a major Reason in preventing 50,000 patient deaths

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/wp/2015/04/01/obamas-claim-the-affordable-care-act-was-a-major-reason-in-preventing-50000-patient-deaths/

Click the link if you want to learn more about Obama's claim and what statistics made his claim plausible

"Largely relying on more than 30,000 medical records, the study looked at how many fewer patient-related problems had taken place in hospitals—the study calculated 1.3 million fewer incidents over three years–and then used that to determine how many lives might have been saved. In general, the researchers used mortality estimates from other research."

AG 1 Questions

FQs

1. What are one of the eight activities of Daily Living?(p. 15)
Answer: use toilet, eat, dress, bathe, groom, get out of bed, get out of chair and walk

2. What are one the eight independent activities of Daily Living?(p. 15)
Answer: prepare your own food, maintain your housekeeping, do your laundry, manage your medications, make phone calls, travel on your own, and handle your finances

3.What is age heaping?(pg 18)
Answer: Time where people lied about their age to appear more elder-like

4. Modernization demoted what?(p. 21)

DQs

1. Is it a greater benefit to stay close to family or be completely independent on your own as you age?

Parental Delay or Refusal of Vaccine Doses

"Parents who delayed and refused vaccine doses were more likely to have vaccine safety concerns and perceive fewer benefits associated with vaccines. Guidelines published by the American Academy of Pediatrics may assist providers in responding to parents who may delay or refuse vaccines."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3113438/

Summary of last two presentations

We discussed Specie-ism. It was about whether or not animals were to be accepted at the same status as humans regard themselves. It was evenly split on whether animals had the same rights as humans. This topic was sparked by the discussion of whether or not it was "the right thing to do" to put animals to sleep when they are in pain and not for humans. The question more specifically, "why is assisted suicide immoral for humans but perfectly acceptable for animals?"

The last presentation was about genetic engineering. There were arguments for it, including that it does not mean that genetic engineering is playing God and that it was a moral obligation according to Savalescu. The arguments against were that it is delving into the unknown or unnecessary. Someone mentioned that if one must use the "it is wrong because it is playing God" argument that the point at which genetic engineering is playing God should be defined.

On immunity 135-163
FACT QUESTIONS

Everyone who is born holds dual citizenship,  in the kingdom of the ____________ and in the kingdom of the ___________. (P.135


______________ is essential to the health of any ecosystem  (p.161)

Discussion question

Do you believe that " immunity is a shared place- a  garden we tend together"? Or do you refer to immunity as a battlefield?

Consequences of Refusing Vaccines

"I fully support parents’ rights to choose not to vaccinate, but there are consequences to that decision.  I have had many conversations with parents in the middle of the night when their child has a fever and had to explain to them that because of their decision to not vaccinate, research indicates that their child is at a significantly increased risk for life-threatening diseases, and so will need invasive testing in the ER.  It will take hours, and it will hurt their child.  I tell them that the diseases we vaccinate against aren’t just nuisances; they kill and maim children every day, and they are almost completely preventable by vaccination."

http://www.voicesforvaccines.org/the-consequences-of-refusing-vaccines/

Bill Gates jumps further into vaccination debate with review of ‘On Immunity’
http://www.geekwire.com/2015/bill-gates-jumps-further-into-vaccination-debate-with-review-of-on-immunity/