A hearty
welcome to all our new readers. We're glad to
have you along on this up and down ride!
Remember, there's no such thing as a dumb
question, and none of us know what we don't
know.
A number of people have inquired lately about
swollen legs and ankles - what does it mean when
someone's legs swell, and what to do about it.
With warmer weather coming this will be a common
question for many caregivers.
Please bear
with me while I make the usual disclaimer: I am
not a physician and this elementary summary is
intended to encourage you to consult a physician
for medical and treatment advice.
Like so many other things, swollen legs (edema)
is a symptom, not a disease. So the first thing
to do is try to find the underlying cause of the
swelling.
If I remember correctly from biology class, our
bodies are normally composed of about 98% water.
Every cell in our body contains water, and water
constantly moves between the bloodstream and the
spaces between the cells (interstitial spaces).
Anything that interferes with the movement of
this fluid can cause the water to build up
(water retention). The heart is the pump that
keeps things moving throughout the system.
Read The Rest...
Speaking of Feet...
How Smart is Your Right
Foot?
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This will
give you something new to think about. Will you
be able to outsmart your foot?
1. While sitting on a chair, lift your right
foot off the floor, stick it straight out, and
make clockwise circles.
2. Now, while doing this, draw the number "6" in
the air with your right hand. Your foot will
change direction and start going
counter-clockwise!
And there's nothing you can do about it (unless
you have a reeeeally, reeeeally extraordinarily
coordinated right foot)!
Choosing
Medical Care in Old Age:
What Kind, How Much, and
When To Stop
|
This
book has been around for a few years, but I just
discovered it. I wish I had had a chance to read
it when my own father was actively dying. As the
person who held medical power of attorney for
him, I was faced with the very dilemmas the
author, a geriatric physician, so
compassionately speaks of in
Choosing Medical Care in Old Age: What Kind, How
Much, When to Stop: When are certain
procedures too burdensome to be justified? What
are unacceptable risks? When should we move from
asking for a cure to asking for compassionate
support through the inevitable dying process?
Dr. Muriel Gillick tells the stories of her
patients, and at the same time she tells her own
story about the daily ethical dilemmas she faces
as the physician responsible for their care.
You would expect a book like this to be on the
depressing side. It isn't. I was actually caught
up in the stories, and I felt remarkably at
peace when I finished the book. I highly
recommend that everyone who is responsible for
an older person read
Choosing Medical Care in Old Age: What Kind, How
Much, When to Stop before getting to the
place where these decisions may have to be made.
It should make the process more bearable, and it
will help alleviate the horrendous misplaced
guilt so many of us feel about "not having done
enough."
Elder
CareTips:
Nightlights When You Need 'Em
|
In each area
of the house, and on each level, install a
battery back-up night light that turns on
immediately when the power goes off. Without
power regular night lights will go dark just
like everything else in the house. With an
automatic battery-powered night light no one is
left groping in the dark for a flashlight. The
cost is minimal and the improved safety is
enormous.
