Living Old, Part 6: A Case Study

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Recommended: Impact of the aging population on healthcare

Currently there are over 461 million elderly adults, aged 65 years old, and this figure is expected to rise to over two billion by year 2050 (Clegg, Young, Iliffe, Rikkert, & Rockwood, 2013). However, as seniors are living longer lives, chronic, debilitating illnesses are putting a strain on the healthcare system and families taking care of their parents. The purpose of this discussion board post is to talk about one thing that I was surprised to learn and did not know until after viewing an assigned video. I will also tell how this one thing that I learned will affect my nursing practice in the years to come.
While watching the Living Old, Part Six, two elderly people present opposite thoughts on the joy and sorrow of being old (Navasky & O’Connor, 2006). While some do not want to burden their family with having to care for them, others want to live as long as they can. This made me question how many elderly people actually have a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) or full resuscitation orders drawn up prior to becoming chronically ill. Bailey et al. (2012) found that a large percentage of …show more content…

I am presented with questions, from both family and patients, regarding when it is appropriate to die peacefully and not prolong living with a terminal disease. I see how hard it is on the family and the patient when they do not agree about an end of life decision. During a start of care, I always ask if the patient has a DNR. Although it is a simple yes or no question, I believe after viewing these videos, I will discuss the importance of making their wishes known, to both the family and healthcare staff, prior to experiencing a condition that could prevent them from expressing their wishes. It is very important to discuss this information with their family and physician and take appropriate action when they are still fairly healthy and in sound

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