Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 05/25/2008 - 22:35.
I love the statement that Dr. Camardi made at the end of this article. He said, As much care and consideration should go into treating a 93-year-old nursing home patient with dementia as a healthy 25-year-old who shows up in the E.R. I took care of my 92 yr. old mother and had people say you need to be ready to give her up. Of course, I didn't want to give her up but the problem was I expected her to have the best medical care possible as if she was a young person as long as she was living. One doctor told me when she was 86 that she was dying and I said I know someday but right now let's find out what is going on that is causing her to lose weight and not get her strength back. I also got some other doctors involved in her case and it turned out to be her medication was upsetting her stomach so they started her on Zantac and she immediately started eating and gaining her strength and went on to live a very good life until 92 yrs. old. It makes me shriver when I hear doctor after doctor say "oh, you are just getting old and that's part of it" instead of finding out what is really going on. I just lost my husband and feel that more could have been done to made his life better if only the doctors would have taken the time to run a few tests or xrays to see what had happened to his back in the very beginning. I'm not saying we don't have very good medical care in the United States but that more could be done for the elderly. I have a soft spot in my heart when it comes to these people. I also would like to do what I can to help some of these people in same way.
Dr. Camardi on Aging
I love the statement that Dr. Camardi made at the end of this article. He said, As much care and consideration should go into treating a 93-year-old nursing home patient with dementia as a healthy 25-year-old who shows up in the E.R. I took care of my 92 yr. old mother and had people say you need to be ready to give her up. Of course, I didn't want to give her up but the problem was I expected her to have the best medical care possible as if she was a young person as long as she was living. One doctor told me when she was 86 that she was dying and I said I know someday but right now let's find out what is going on that is causing her to lose weight and not get her strength back. I also got some other doctors involved in her case and it turned out to be her medication was upsetting her stomach so they started her on Zantac and she immediately started eating and gaining her strength and went on to live a very good life until 92 yrs. old. It makes me shriver when I hear doctor after doctor say "oh, you are just getting old and that's part of it" instead of finding out what is really going on. I just lost my husband and feel that more could have been done to made his life better if only the doctors would have taken the time to run a few tests or xrays to see what had happened to his back in the very beginning. I'm not saying we don't have very good medical care in the United States but that more could be done for the elderly. I have a soft spot in my heart when it comes to these people. I also would like to do what I can to help some of these people in same way.