Thanks to advances in modern medicine and lifestyle, most Americans will survive the diseases that once killed us swiftly and predictably—infections, childbirth, cancer, heart disease—and will instead live out our final years plagued by the multiple chronic conditions associated with aging. Half of us who make it to 85 will suffer from dementia and virtually all will have an array of illnesses that will make it hard for us to live on our own, and harder still for our families to provide the care we will need.
The Talmud tells the story of two rabbis who visited each other when they were ill. Each Rabbi was able to heal the other but not himself. The medieval commentator Rashi says they were able to heal the other through being present and empathetic. Community is tremendously important as we age. We need to recognize the gift of growing old and know that, even when quite dependent on others, we can live a meaningful, comfortable life. To do so, though, we need seamless services from the onset of serious illness or disability through death. We need respite and training for our caregivers.
Every morning from the first day of Elul until Rosh Hashanah, it is customary to blow the Shofar as a means to awaken one’s spirit. We need to heed this “wake up” call and recognize that our priorities and health risks are different when living with advanced years. Even a long life is short, and we should make plans in the bloom of midlife to enable comfort and meaningful living as life comes to a close.
Judy Peres and Dr. Joanne Lynn are part of the Center for Elder Care and Advanced Illness at Altarum Institute. www.medicaring.org
