Abstract
Objective: To reflect on the challenges of caring for an elderly ill parent who lives afar and to pronounce the importance of system-wide standards in nursing homes and elderly care. Method: Personal memoire in which the author conjures up powerful images of contrasting healthcare systems and the tension of living in two countries. Results: The author discusses many aspects of healthcare for the elderly. Some of the pictures depicted include the picture of a gradually declining memory of an Alzheimer's disease patient and the challenges of elderly care. Conclusion: There is a value of medical knowledge, an importance of nursing homes designs and regulation, and a significance of simple concepts such as a "do-not-resuscitate" order. Practice implications: Care for the elderly can be exhausting physically and emotionally; system-wide changes and standards are important in minimizing its impact.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 442-443 |
| Number of pages | 2 |
| Journal | Patient Education and Counseling |
| Volume | 94 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Mar 2014 |
Keywords
- DNR
- Dementia
- Nursing home
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Medicine(all)