"Mom's been writing goofy checks..." "Dad stopped paying his bills...." "Grandma wired her savings to Nigeria..."Have you heard these phrases from the family caregivers of your elderly patients? Have you ever been concerned that your patient may lack capacity for financial decision making? How do you decide if they lack capacity? What is the clinician's role in making these decisions? What is their responsibility?These important questions are addressed in a terrific new article in ...
Alex Smith, MD
Adults living with dementia and disability need research funding
I heard a prominent speaker talk about studies at the National Institute of Aging. The speaker described several new large and well funded trials aimed at preventing illnesses associated with aging, such as dementia and disability. These studies are terrific, and worthy of funding.I was disappointed, however, that little was said about funding for studies of older adults already living with dementia and disability. Research in prevention will not help these patients. I asked: where is the ...
Nurses are underappreciated but key to patient care
"No man, not even a doctor, ever gives any other definition of what a nurse should be than this -- 'devoted and obedient.' This definition would do just as well for a porter. It might even do for a horse. It would not do for a policeman." -Florence Nightingale, 1859 Please take a moment to celebrate the nurses in your life. Florence Nightingale was the first to publicly decry the sorry ...
Palliative care needs a simple and consistent message
I was consulted recently about an elderly woman who refused surgery for a large bowel obstruction from a colonic mass, likely cancer. The inpatient team asked me to help with the transition to hospice and to help make her comfortable.I went to see her. She had a nasogastric tube sucking up brown material from her stomach. Her abdomen was swollen and uncomfortable. Her primary goal was to return to walking ...
The power of a doctor’s choice of words in explaining CPR
Words have power. Language has power.The words we use may comfort or shock, allay or provoke, sooth or batter. Words often imply layers of meaning that are not explicitly articulated, yet rest beneath the surface:“I worry that time is short for you” (You are dying) (I care about you)“I wish we could have done more” (Nothing would have changed her death) (I am on your side)“I hope with you that ...
Learn how to conduct a family meeting by using a structured approach
On my last day of ward attending, I handed out an EKG that resembled the Dow Jones industrial average over the last 10 years (not pictured). The normal pattern of an EKG was completely disrupted: ST segments were markedly elevated, P waves were hidden, and beats were grouped in odd patterns. My medical team laughed and shook their heads.I asked why.A brave intern responded that he was completely at a ...
