What doctors hate is what sick elders need most: a conversation -- a truthful conversation -- about what their realistic options are.
On October 5, 2011, the New York Times published the results of a recent study about late-in-life surgeries. The study found that the elderly (65+) are having painful, often useless surgeries just when they need to be saying their good-byes instead.
Click here to read "Surgery Rate Late In Life Surprises Researchers" by Gina Kolata.
Yes, the conversation is very difficult to have. People have different ideas about what to do whether they're the sick elder, the family members, or the medical team. And yes, many people cannot have these difficult conversations without the help of an expert.
The expert to use?
An elder mediator. She or he can help the sick elder, the family, and medical team to come together; to listen to each other so that they understand each other; to discuss the options and what they mean; and to support the sick elder and others in the family discussion and decision.
So let's put the knife down and talk. Let's listen and understand until we know what it is that the elder wants. Let's help the elder to make choices that are appropriate for the elder's age and prognosis.
If you want to read about the doctor's dilemma, here's a book about the need for doctors to improve the art and science of prognostication: "Death Foretold: Prophecy and Prognosis in Medical Care" by Nicholas A. Christakis.
About the author: Nicholas A. Christakis, MD, PhD, MPH, is an internist and social scientist who conducts research on social factors that affect health, health care, and longevity. He is Professor of Medical Sociology in the Department of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School; Professor of Medicine in the Department of Medicine at Harvard Medical School; and Professor of Sociology in the Department of Sociology in the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences. He is the Master of Pforzheimer House in Harvard College.
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