Dialysis Decisions & Continued Care for Elders

I just read this article from the New york Times blog about elderly patients who are experiencing kidney failure. For the past several decades, these patients would be led directly to dialysis treatment, which has been completely covered by the federal government.

But today, as kidney failure seems to have skyrocketed since those days, the medical industry now has to make choices as to who will get treatment and who will not. The first problem is that we are broke as a nation. The second problem is that the medical community cannot properly handle all the people who need treatment.

So who gets the free dialysis treatment?

The article goes on to talk about how oftentimes, doctors are hesitant to recommend dialysis for patients who are experiencing a ton of health problems already. If you have a person whose kidneys are failing, and who is also in the late stages of cancer or heart disease, or perhaps Alzheimer’s, etc, then dialysis might be of no use whatsoever. Some doctors say that this treatment could end up causing a world of pain and problems for those seniors. And because there is a shortage of available treatment anyway….

Okay, you can see where this is going. It’s a real problem, but there is something about it that makes me uneasy. Are we talking about health care rationing at this point? Are we going to dictate who is allowed to get what kind of treatment?

Honestly, I don’t know the answers here, but the issue is troubling. The article talks about how almost no senior wants to forgo dialysis. Why? Because they know it can keep them alive. Their quality of life might not be helped at all. But they will at least be alive. And they want that option. But the doctors would counter and say that kidney treatment won’t help them if they are just going to die of something else that they are suffering from.

My question is this: will cardiologists suggest that they should not treat heart patients who are already suffering greatly of kidney issues? Or will they turn down surgery candidates because they think the patient might die anyway as a result of the patient’s cancer? And then will the oncologist refuse to offer chemotherapy to a cancer patient because that patient has heart trouble? Or because the patient is on dialysis?

Do you see the problem? Where does it start, and where does it end? I assume that we are only having the discussion about dialysis because we are talking about the direct appropriation of federal tax dollars?

Look, I am not getting political here. This is obviously a complicated issue, and I don’t pretend to understand it all. I am not a doctor or a politician. I’m a pastor. I happen to think that senior citizens are people who are every bit as valuable as any member of society, no matter what abilities, or disabilities they have. I believe they are made in the image of God, and they ought to be respected. That’s what we do at iCare for Elders. So this whole discussion is really disconcerting. I don’t want to give anyone an excuse to let sick seniors die.

I can only hope and pray that the ones who have to make these awful decisions make them carefully. And that they will put the needs and the desires of patients at the highest priority at all times.

Attending a Support Group

Support Groups can be a touchy topic for many people, but they have been a lifeline for many more. When my father was diagnosed with a terminal illness, my mom dragged my dad to a support group specific to his illness. She needed to know all she could about what they were facing, she wanted to be as prepared and proactive as possible. At first my dad resisted strongly because he didn’t want to know what might happen to him, and he didn’t want to be depressed by what he thought would be a devestating look at his new reality.

They were both pleasantly surprised. My mom found support and encouragement from other care givers, and my dad was encouraged to find others facing the same challenges and pushing through them.

So why join a elder care support group?

For support group participants, these meeting prove to be more than just an empathetic experience, a sharing of woe, or “wow our lives are rough” sessions, but also creative problem solving sessions. Participants share what kind of home modifications, diet changes, exercises, and medical care had brought them relief and strength, as well as passing along current research, medical breakthroughs, and technological advances that might improve their quality of life.

Support groups are like a gold mine, giving you the chance to meet with other people who have done the legwork in your local area and found resources close to home such as doctors, caregiver support, social and community events, and educational or informational classes on your particular disease or related care topics. Patients and their family members can pass on names of highly recomended doctors as well as which medical providers to avoid.

In addition to being an excellent informational resource, support groups can provide emotional stability and encouragment, a safe and healthy arena to process through the difficulties of having a terminal illness or the challenges of providing care for someone who has a terminal illness. Knowing that you’re not alone, that there are others who understand what you’re going through can be so encouraging.