Thank you, President Obama

Like many Americans last night, I tuned in to President Obama's address to both houses of Congress. I had high hopes for that speech and I wasn't disappointed.
As I expected it would be, the speech was filled with hope and promise, encouragement and comfort, but also a call to our better selves. The President not only laid out a plan for him and our leaders but called to each American to do their part. When was the last time you heard your President ask parents to pay attention to their children? It's been a long time coming.
I was also interested, as a nurse and as a consumer, to hear what plans he had for the health care industry. I think his plans are good [streamlining health records by taking them into the digital age, curing cancer, etc].
Addressing education will also help healthcare because some of our problem lies not with a lack of health care students but with a lack of health care teachers.
Targeting the high cost of health care will also be a big boon to the economy because that is something that is going to get worse fast if we are not proactive. The Boomers are going to need lots of care very soon and it's not free. Whether it's private insurance, Medicare, or out of pocket, someone is going to have to pay for it.
All in all, the President nailed it with his Address.
As for the Republicans, what can I say? Same old, same old. They really need to buy a clue.

The Aging Boomers and Health Trends

Health care has been in the news a lot lately. President Obama had made it one of the rallying cries during his campaign and we are poised, it seems, to tackle that issue very soon now that the stimulus bill has passed. Tomorrow, he will address both houses of Congress and I will bet you that health care will be high on the list of the things he talks about.
Why is health care such a hot potato? Because it is a large part of the nation's budget and it's a large part of every household budget. And it promises to get bigger. Not only are we faced with dealing with people who currently have no insurance because of the job market, but the health demographics of this nation are about to change in ways we have never seen before.
Like it or not [and they don't], the Baby Boomers are aging. They are approaching retirement and that phase of life when health costs increase. Couple that with a system that no longer works and we have a problem that definitely needs to be addressed.
President Obama wants to computerize medical records in an effort to drive down costs and make health information more useable, decrease errors, and improve care.
That's a good start but I think we need to do more. Life expectancy is going to go up. The looming nursing shortage has to be tackled - now, before we're in trouble, not after. We need to encourage doctors to specialize in the field of geriatrics [The Gerontological Society of America (2008, April 25). Baby Boomer Health Care Crisis ]. But the need goes beyond that - nursing assistants, social workers, nursing homes, assisted living centers, agencies that offer oversight for meals and care - all of this needs to be revamped as the largest generation ever seen marches slowly into older life. It might seem to be an overwhelming problem but not if we start now.

Doctor shortage in Japan caused a death

A man in Japan was injured in an accident and died while waiting for paramedics tried to find a hospital that would accept him. Their reason for refusal? They did not have the doctor staff to take care of him.
Could that happen elsewhere?
Could there conceivably be other reasons for refusal in days to come?
Is this an unusual case or a portend of things to come?
I don't know. I certainly don't have the answers to that but it definitely concerns me.
Our generation is aging. More health concerns and problems are going to crop up. More hospital days are going to be needed.
Who is going to be there to deliver the care?
I think a far more vexing problem, at least for this country, is not so much a doctor shortage as a nursing shortage. And the nursing shortage is not so much a function of a lack of people wanting to become nurses but a lack of people to teach them.
Nursing programs are feeling a crunch for lack of teachers. Lack of teachers translates into low student enrollment. Low student enrollment translates into a nursing shortage.
Do you see the problem here?

Kiva.org

Many years ago, I read Gail Sheehy's Passages , a book that profoundly affected me. I was in the beginning stages of the groups she covered in her book and I wondered if life would evolve for me as it had for the people she studied. So far, she is right 100%. I have now thankfully evolved from a self-centered young person into [I hope] a more centered, more accepting, more involved, more peaceful older person.
It actually gives me plessure to reach out.
If you find yourself in the same place, I urge you to check out Kiva. I first heard of Kiva when I read Bill Clinton's book Giving. Kiva is an organization that lends money to entrepreneurs - with micro loans- all over the world. That's what's so unique about it. You and I can make a difference in someone's life by just loaning something as little as $25. It's a great example how a bunch of little acts can do great things.

Some marketing advice from a Boomer

Do NOT call me a Senior.
Let me rephrase that - DO NOT CALL ME A SENIOR!
I know I am a Baby Boomer. I know I am at the forefront of the Baby Boomers in terms of age. I get that and I am trying to deal with that in my own way [denial is helping a lot].
I get that marketing groups see my generation and they get dollar signs where their pupils used to be. Here we are 73 million strong marching forward to that final finishing line and we all need hormone pills, and antacids, and larger print, and scooter chairs, and lower cholesterol, and heart pills, and on and on.
But if you are going to get my attention, don't do it by addressing me as a Senior. I will put my fingers in my ears, sing "La La La, I can't hear you!" and move on.
Case in point - I got a robo call today. First clue, caller ID said "Name Unavailable". I shouldn't have picked up but curiosity got me and I did and said "Hello". There was a moment's hesitation [a sure sign it was a recording] and then the dreaded words "Hello, Senior".
Click.
I didn't hear any more and I don't care to.
Ever.
If you didn't get the memo - we Baby Boomers are not our parents. We are the same as we were in the 60's, with only slight changes, barely noticeable. If you want to sell to us, show us how it will make our lives better and more fun, how it will let us keep doing what we are still thinking we are capable of doing but don't imply it's because we can't. Tricky? Maybe. But that's your job to figure out. You're the marketing gurus.
And so far you are way off mark.

The Coming Doctor Shortage

Our population is getting older - quickly. We Baby Boomers, probably the largest generation this country has ever seen, are no longer babies, even though we'll never admit it.
We can attempt to fight the clock all we want with activity, and diets, and surgery, and a gazillion anti-wrinkle creams, but the fact remains that time is marching on, taking us right along with it.
Memories and organs are failing, medication bottles are lining up on the kitchen countertop and my mother is starting to peer at me in the mirror when I brush my teeth.
But instead of lamenting about this inevitable process, I think it behooves us to tackle this next stage of our lives head on as we have done with everything else.
We've already redefined retirement [what retirement? I'm starting a new career.] Let's make aging our own as well.
Gone are the patients who obediently took pills and blindly followed medical advice. Necessity is going to dictate that we make use of what few doctors are going to be available to us as we age. Those precious minutes in the office need to count for all they're worth.

I highly recommend the following:

• Make a list of questions you might have as well as symptoms you are having before you go in to your doctor’s office. That way you won’t forget anything.
• Make sure you include a list of all medications you take, including anything over the counter (yes, those herbs you take for your memory are important – some of them can lengthen bleeding time).
• Question everything. Don’t be afraid to be labelled a pest. Contrary to what you may believe, doctors appreciate patients who take charge of their health.
• If you are given a diagnosis you don’t understand, ask for more information. Most doctors now are taking full advantage of the Web and are happy to give printouts of information or can tell you where to find it.
• If you are uncomfortable with the options your doctor has given you, get a second opinion. It’s definitely worth the peace of mind.
• Don’t be afraid to do your homework. Look things up yourself. There are great resources on the Web now. The more you know, the more you can question. The more you question, the more you’ll know.
• Don’t take any medication that you don’t know the ingredients of or the purpose of. Make sure your doctor knows all your allergies and past drug reactions.

Yes, the practice of medicine is going to get tougher as fewer doctors are available to a growing population but we can be advocates for ourselves and those we love.

Oh, and don't call me a Senior.

Ever.