2023-10-10 07:05:13
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Entered 2023.10.10 16:01 Views 0 Entered 2023.10.10 16:01 Modified 2023.10.10 16:08 Views 0 We live in an era where the elderly take care of the elderly (spouse). Living a long, healthy life is more important. [사진=게티이미지]
“Even though it was hard, I had to take care of it… What will I see in the followinglife? ”
At a funeral, an elderly woman who appeared to be in her 80s was heard sobbing. She said, ‘It is my fault that her husband died. She also said something to the effect of ‘I sent her husband to a nursing hospital.’ She sent her husband, who frequently went to a kidney dialysis hospital at home, to a nursing hospital, and he died just over a month later. Even though it was hard to wait on her, she regretted that she might have lived longer if she had stayed at home to take care of her sick husband until the end.
An era where the elderly take care of the elderly… What was the final ‘lonely decision’?
These days, we live in an era of ‘no-no care’. Older people must take care of sick older people. The number of children caring for their elderly parents is decreasing. The decision to send a wife or husband to a nursing hospital must also be made by the elderly spouse. Even if your children suggest, “Mom is having a hard time, let’s take her father to the hospital,” it’s okay if you refuse. The final ‘lonely decision’ a spouse makes in old age is admission to a nursing hospital. Elderly people are very reluctant to be admitted to nursing hospitals, which were called ‘modern-day Goryeojang’ during the COVID-19 outbreak. Still, if I have to go, I have no choice but to go. Because I can’t take care of myself at home…
My wish is to die comfortably in my sleep… What is reality?
Even long-lived old people spend the last part of their lives sick and die. His wish is to die peacefully in his sleep, but such cases are very rare. He is hospitalized for months to years. How long can we enjoy a healthy lifespan (long and healthy life)? According to data from the National Statistical Office and other sources, the life expectancy of women in Korea (2021) is 86.6 years, which is 6 years longer than that of men (80.6 years). However, the period of illness (period of illness) is regarding 5 years longer than that of men. In the end, it is no different from spending most of your long life suffering from disease.
Here, ‘disease period’ has several meanings. Many elderly people take various medications for chronic diseases such as high blood pressure or diabetes and visit hospitals frequently, but this does not interfere with their daily lives. I am maintaining a normal daily life while receiving appropriate medication. Even if you have a big or small illness, your healthy lifespan does not end. Because of their strength, they are also capable of caring for their sick spouse.
Korea’s healthy life expectancy is 73.1 years… Live longer and healthier than in the US (66.1 people)
The World Health Organization (WHO)’s ‘health-adjusted life expectancy’ is ‘healthy life expectancy’ excluding mild chronic diseases. By supplementing (correcting) the statistical shortcomings, we estimate the point in time when daily life cannot be carried out smoothly due to illness or accident. If we follow this method, Korea’s healthy life expectancy is 73.1 years (as of 2019). According to WHO estimates, it ranks third following Japan (74.1 years) and Singapore (73.6 years). Healthy life expectancy in Korea is longer than in the United States (66.1 years), the United Kingdom (70.1 years), Germany (70.9 years), and France (72.1 years).
How do we view ‘healthy’ older people? Even if you have an illness or are taking a lot of medicine, you can live a normal life if you can walk, wash yourself, and buy things at the supermarket. These days, there are quite a few elderly people who live alone even following they are over 90 years old. My walking speed is slow, my back is bent, and my muscles are weak, so even if I use a cane, it doesn’t really interfere with my daily life. If an elderly couple is mobile, they can live without the help of their children even if one person is sick.
An old man taking care of an old man… What regarding dementia and stroke?
These days, many elderly people take care of themselves at home when their spouse gets sick. Of course, the hardest thing is dementia. This is a case of suffering from a disease that makes movement difficult, such as stroke (cerebral infarction-cerebral hemorrhage) or Parkinson’s disease. If you can’t even go to the bathroom by yourself, it takes a lot of effort for your spouse to serve you. At first, they are motivated and say, “I will take care of the person who has suffered their whole life,” but if the illness continues for a long time, their strength will inevitably be exhausted. In the end, there are many cases where people reluctantly choose a nursing hospital. Even when it is not a coronavirus epidemic, shared hospital rooms have a high risk of infectious diseases such as pneumonia. Pneumonia is a dangerous disease with a high mortality rate in the elderly.
My wish is to take care of my sick spouse at home… What is reality?
A week ago, in this article, I covered a man in his 90s who ate meat every day and did strength training to take care of his sick wife. It is said that when elderly men are nearing the end of their lives, they often express regret to their wives, saying, “I am sorry for meeting her ugly husband and making her suffer all her life.” The old man, who diligently did strength training even in his old age, pledged, “Instead of talking nonsense, I will take care of my wife until the end.”
How long will I enjoy a healthy lifespan? Won’t my husband, wife, and children suffer because of me being sick? Can I go into a nursing hospital on my own without putting a burden on my family? In the age of 90 and 100, it is important to live a long, healthy life without harming those around you. Expanding home care by nursing professionals will reduce the burden on older spouses. I look forward to a time when old couples hold each other’s hands and only express words of love and comfort.
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