About two years ago - April 18, 2012 - The NY Times' "The New Old Age" blog reported on a then-recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It looked at the deaths of 700,000 people who were over 85 & where they occurred. Compared to a similar study in 1989, 11% less people died as hospital patients (29% v. 40%). Those who died at home rose 7%, from 12% to 19%.
Which has me wondering - what about the other 52%? If they didn't die in the hospital & they didn't die at home, where did they draw their last breath?
The majority of people who die over age 85 will pass away in a nursing home or other long-term care facility. The blog posting mentioned 40%, but seems to me that 48 from 100 makes 52. Sheez....
Let's change one word. Let's substitute "institutional" for "hospital." Make that switch & we now have 81% of significantly older people who died in 2007 passing away in an institutional setting.
I think the world of the senior lifestyle residences that some of my grannie clients call home. They are many things, but I seriously doubt that any of my older friends would consider them truly "homey." I have friends whose living space consists of one room - bed, sitting area, kitchen all within the size of a traditional living room, if not smaller.
I have yet to come across one older person living in a senior lifestyle residence who has her friends in for a drink, for a game of cards, for lunch. Bridge games are held in common social areas, dinner parties are confined to the dining room.
There is no way I am going to cheer the fact that 7% more older people died at home in 2007 than did in 1989. That is abominable! If 19% died at home, everyone else didn't.
Yes, it is a huge relief knowing that my mother & mother-in-law were both within that rarefied few. But I want more, much more.
When the overwhelming majority of significantly older Americans die in institutional facilities - well, it's just not right. It's certainly NOT what I would call death with dignity.
Here's my suggestion to everyone who with a parent or loved one tucked away in a senior lifestyle residence ~ pack off your older loved one on a 2-week vacation. Then YOU live in his or her living space for 14 days. No trips back home! Bring all the stuff you need to get through the days & figure out where it all goes. If your relative doesn't drive, then you're grounded, too, depending on others for transportation.
Imagine how much such a sojourn could change our perspective of what our older friends & loved ones have to deal with every day!
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