Medical Terminology
Every health condition comes with its own language, medical terminology and decision options. End of Life is no different. While CPR and DNR may be familiar to many, that doesn’t mean they are understood as intended.
New ‘terms’ such as Allow Natural Death or AND and Voluntary Stopping Eating and Drinking or VSED have been created to add to options to consider. Understanding the words and terms used is one thing. Being able to act on them is another.
Alzheimer’s and Restraints: Benefits and Risks
To restrain or not to restrain Until I met Sylvia Davidson, the word restraints scared the bejesus out of me, conjuring up straight jackets, handcuffs, ropes tape over mouth and struggling terrified restrainees. (clearly, I’m watching too many crime shows). That was...
BestEndings Flash Video Chat: Talking about dying
Impromptu End of Life conversation captured on video It started out as an experiment: there was a new video camera, an excuse to get together with a good friend who 'does the lighting' for movies and commercials. He makes everything look beautiful. And why not get in...
Medications: work differently and more dangerously as we age
Drug Use and Seniors 1 in 5 over age 65 are taking 10 or more prescription medications, 1 in 20 are taking 15 more so reports Canadian Institute of Health Information (CIHI). Not included in that total: the number of times a day meds are taken and non-prescription...
Four medications cause most hospitalizations
Blood thinners and diabetes drugs – alone or in combination - cause the most hospitalizations in older adults. This is a really enlightening report picked up by New York Times, ‘Well’ editor, Tara Parker Pope. Aspirin, clopidogrel and other antiplatelet drugs that...
