The discussion between the two ladies at the quilting table was interesting, but frank:
Can you tell a big difference with your new pace maker?
What do you mean by a difference?
I guess I wonder if you can feel like you have more energy with this new pacemaker?
Well, I can tell the difference between how my old pacemaker was at the end and how this one is at the beginning. This one definitely works better. The old one was kind of like a fading flashlight. It still had a battery, but the light beam was getting pretty dim.
The discussion between the married couple at the jigsaw puzzle table was also interesting:
Did you hear about our neighbor from the old house?
No. Do you mean Inez?
Yes. She had a stroke.
Is she alright.
She is, but I am not sure how. One of my friend’s told me that even though she knew she was having a stroke, she still drove herself to the hospital!
The conversations around the afternoon coffee table were interesting and insightful. They tell the story of aging residents who could talk openly about their health and their condition. They tell the story of energetic individuals who are still interested in a number of activities that they have always enjoyed. They tell the story of how having the right care at the right time can make all of the difference in the world. From supplies as simple as a tubular stretch bandage for a skin abrasion on an arm that is not healing well to medical canes and as complex as knowing how and when to sign up for hospice services, the care that you or your loved ones receive determines quality of life.
Knowing when it is time to look for care options outside of the home is a key component to helping families make the difficult transitions in life. The need for tubular stretch bandages, mobile chairs for the elderly, and various kinds of single use syringes for diabetes can, for instance, by easy enough to handle at home, but at some point many people need to move to a care facility to make sure that they are surrounded by the right kinds of resources and trained personnel.
More research here.