Modern Medicine can keep you alive
Machines, medications and man-made parts: modern medicine continues to find and develop life-saving and life-prolonging interventions.
Advancements in heart research include:
- Bypass surgery
- Man-made implantable cardiac devices like pacemakers
When organs fail, there’s dialysis for kidney failure, and transplants for kidney, lung, liver and heart. Cancer continues to be researched, and survival rates and life expectancy has greatly increased. For neurological (brain) illness and injury, medications and interventions are emerging, and rehab helps with increased function. Even infections – which were regularly the cause of death in past generations – are now treated with antibiotics.
However, as the body winds down, so-called ‘Heroic Measures’ may do more harm than intended. CPR (Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation) Breathing Machines (ventilators), Feeding tubes and specific medications can be considered Heroic Measures or seem more like Futile Treatment. When making decisions about any of these, it can help to understand the longer-term results and possible complications.
Surgical Risk Calculator: American College of Surgeons
A tool to help assess post-operation risks, based on pre-operation health. This is a picture of what you'll be asked to complete Reviewed by Cheryl Clark, for HealthLeaders Media, August 23, 2013 For the first time, surgeons have a sophisticated risk calculator said...
Long Distance Caregiving at Life’s End
Long distance caregiving When a parent becomes very ill, living far away is stressful. Growing up in Lebanon, Nada studied and worked in the US, before migrating to Canada – where she set about restarting her career. Always, in the back of her mind, was the need to...
Mouth Care improves Quality of Life
Oral Care: in eldercare, the mouth is often overlooked Our mouths – so important for so many reasons – seems overlooked, dismissed, ignored in its role in overall health and well-being. Consider the work we expect from our mouth: in addition to the vital task of...
Music Therapy: Unlocking the soul
Music has charms they say.. (Joe Jackson: ‘Slow Song’) Amy Clements-Cortes For Amy Clements-Cortes, PhD, MusM, MTA, the charm of music is its ability to accomplish a multitude of health and wellness goals. One of Amy’s areas of specialty is end of life music therapy...