Geriatrics?

I was toying with the idea of Geriatrics as a career (it's on a long list)... but today might really affect that decision.

Today I went to a nursing home/geriatrics medical center. The lobby was tastefully decorated in warm colors and mahogany. It looked like it belonged to a cozy bed and breakfast. There was even a nice small fountain, and I said to myself "that's a nice fountain" and proceeded cluelessly...

I kept walking and the warm cozy happy lobby turns into a strange, sad, place that engages all five senses and then some. The sight of flaccid withering people, the smell of urine, the sounds of suffering and nurse call bells, and the feeling of wrinkly, pasty skin as I examined people who have lived more than 3 times as long as I have. There was an eerie sensation that death was lurking nearby, and it was impossible to ignore the overwhelming feeling of sadness for those suffering patients and fear of the future of my own family and friends at this stage of their lives.

The nursing home had a neat physical therapy room and I checked out the calendar and spotted some cool activities for the residents to enjoy. I had noticed that all of the patients had nice maniures, and discovered later that it was on the calendar as well. That was cute. All in all, I'm sure it's a great place for the elderly compared to some other nursing homes, but in the end, it's still a nursing home.

The patients that made me the most sad were the ones with cognitive decline/dementia. They seem lost and empty, just waiting for their bodies to catch up with their brains and expire.

Death itself is not so bad. It means peace for so many of these people. The physician I am following told me that for many patients, he will not treat an infection or he might withdraw all medications if it means that their suffering will end. Essentially, it is much better to let an elderly suffering person pass away than to keep them alive and pump them full of meds. Keeping someone alive if they're in agony is barbaric, but sadly sometimes mistaken for true medical care. A good physician will do his or her best to reduce suffering, not just prolong life.

In this nursing home, I saw a lot of suffering. And it's not just patient who is suffering, but also their loved ones.

I am grateful for every single person who goes into Geriatrics and takes care of the old folk. It is challenging and delicate, and surely not the most fun job in the world.