Mystery!I'm slowing getting the hang of watching Mad Men, AMC's acclaimed original series Sunday nights at 10 PM. (Has this reached Germany yet?) It's about people who work at an ad agency in New York City during the 1960's.
In one of the scenes, two people are talking about their father and father-in-law respectively, who needs some help because he is suffering from Alzheimer's disease. The family can't decide if they want to send him to a nursing home or take him into their own homes. One of the characters says that the lesson learned from this experience is "Don't get old". Very funny. Unfortunately, aging and all its associated aches and pains is inevitable for each and everyone of us, like it or not.
Deciding how to take care of elderly parents as in the Mad Men episode is a hot topic. Case in point, read this NYT article about a young medical student specializing in geriatrics spending time in a nursing home. Everyone has heard horrible stories of neglected or abused old folks at such homes. The question is what can be done to improve the experience for the inhabitants. When I read the article, one of the most interesting parts was about a nursing home occupant and former specialist in arthritis, who was slowly being disabled by the disease he specialized in. Also, it was interesting to read about how elderly at nursing homes quickly forged friendships over conversation because that's all there was. Whereas adult friendships need to be nurtured slowly over dinners and other meetings.
This is one of the reasons why it's so important enjoy yourself when you're still young and healthy. Food for thought . . .
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