You’re not going to live to be 200. You’re probably not even going to make it to 100 either. All that longevity talk is marketing fantasy intended to line the pockets of “anti-aging experts.”
Aging
A growing number of palliative care programs are being expanded to chronically ill patients in community clinics and at home, spurred by federal and state health reforms.
More than half of seniors with memory loss or dementia have never been tested for either condition, according to a study by researchers at the University of Michigan. The researchers say that their study can be extrapolated to show that as many as 1.8 million Americans over the age of 70 with dementia are not evaluated for symptoms of cognitive decline, which means that drugs or other options to help slow the decline are not being accessed by many people who could benefit from them.
With the aging Baby Boomer generation set to change the face of health care as we know it, hospitals across the country have begun preparing for the influx of older patients by looking at ways to improve both care and outcomes for senior patients with programs like Acute Care for Elders.
When 64 year-old Bob Branstrom thought he was having a stroke, he walked the few feet to his senior cohousing neighbor, who then called a nearby pediatrician, who then called 911. Together, his neighbors ensured his safety and comfort, even taking him books and toiletries if needed for an overnight hospital stay.
A new assisted living complex in Palm Springs that targets an aging LGBT demographic is one of a handful of new facilities serving seniors yearning for supportive and compassionate living environments.
San Diego area resident Teresa McConnell, 54, remembers the seven months of her unemployment clearly. “I didn’t want to talk to anyone any more, I didn’t want to hear myself say I didn’t have a job and watch people pull away,” she said. “I felt sick and ashamed just saying it.”
With the average American life expectancy now reaching 78, a solution to the long-term care crisis is vital, yet faces the brutal headwinds of economic reality and political stridency.
As a reporter who covers Aging issues, discussing the topic in public typically evokes this response through clenched teeth: “Getting old sucks.”
When actor and comedian Robin Williams committed suicide at age 63, the tragedy traumatized fans worldwide who wondered how someone so famous – and so funny – could pull the plug on a legendary life and career.