What’s It Like To Be in a Nursing Home?
Some medical students are finding out what it’s like. As part of their training they spend two weeks in a nursing-home with a “diagnosis” of an impairment that would put them there. It’s New York Times article is worth a read because it addresses two very real issues:
- How do we get more doctors interested in the practice of geriatrics to meet future needs of an aging population? In 2005, there was one geriatrician for every 5,000 people over 65, according to the American Geriatrics Society; by 2030 that ratio is expected to increase to one for every 8,000 patients. Geriatricians must participate in a two-year fellowship program after medical school to become certified, according to the NY Times article.
- Can these experiences help doctors better understand how to respond to the elderly – not just their medical needs, but emotional as well? Same for those of us who visit friends or family in nursing homes
It’s a fascinating –but brief – look inside an experience many of us fear. It’s also a good reminder about the importance of long-term care planning (your preferences for where and how you’ll be cared for) and funding that care, whether it’s your own resources, long-term care insurance or friends and family.
Tags: aging parents, long term care planning, long-term care
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