Advanced Directives: One Heathen's Outlook

Everyone dies. That's life and it has a 100% mortality rate. As the top out for average age of death is slowly rising, we are being hit with an issue that was pretty non-existent 50-75 years ago. What to do with our elderly?

With the current government safety net of Social Security and Medicare failing, we are left with some key questions on how we deal with our aging family members.

*Are they self sufficient?
*Are there major health issues that require routine outside care?
*Are they able to live by themselves?
*Do they have an advanced directive such as Do Not Resuscitate Order for emergencies?

Currently we are seeing more and more people putting their ailing older family members in nursing facilities or hospice care.  I will not be the judge as to whether or not this is a good choice or bad since each situation is unique to the family.  As a paramedic, I am more concerned with the last question concerning the advanced directive.

EMS, nurses, and doctors want the best possible outcome for each elderly patient.  Unfortunately there are situations that require some hard choices.  Realistically, successfully resuscitating an elderly patient with chronic health issues is rare.  However, when it does happen we must ask ourselves what kind of life are we bringing them back to?   The Havamal states:

"Cattle die and kinsmen die,
thyself too soon must die,
but one thing never, I ween, will die, --
fair fame of one who has earned."   (75)

Our elders have earned their fame and their dignity.  If at all possible, they being in the right mind of course, help them come to an end of life decision before this becomes an issue.  They have earned their right to make an informed decision.  They need to understand that many times they will be brought back broken and bed ridden if they are not already there.  Death is not the end.  Our ancestors wait for us.

I see families hold their loved ones in limbo, bereft of dignity, so that they may cling to some false hope and avoid letting go.  I say "Let them go!".  They have lived a full life.  Let their deeds live on in fine words spoken over full mugs with good family and friends.  We do them a disservice by avoiding the issue while they are alive and/or refusing to let them go at the end.  They deserve better.

Sisu!