Aging Well April 29th 2014

Senior Living April 29^th 2014

I think most of us have realized that we won’t live forever. But do your loved ones and health care providers know what kind of care you want at the end of your life? Because according to the National Institute on Aging “more than one out of four older Americans face questions about medical treatment near the end of life but are not capable of making those decisions.”

Two tools that you can use to express your wishes and have better control over your care and treatment in medical situations when you are unable to communicate are an Advance Directive and a POLST. I will give a quick explanation of each but for more information, PK Swartz will discuss both as well as organ and tissue donations at the Center’s next 11:00 Tuesday Lecture on May 6^th. Or you can go online by googling Oregon Advance Directives or Oregon POLST.

The POLST and Advance Directive are not the same thing but complement each other. Both are voluntary, and both give you control over your advance care planning if you are unable to speak for yourself.

But there are several differences.

Advance Directive is recommended for anyone 18 and older; is a legal document that goes into effect only if you are incapacitated and unable to speak for yourself; and guides inpatient treatment decisions by telling the health care team at the hospital what you generally want or don’t want.

Advance Directive allows you to appoint a Health Care Representative who can make decisions for you such as whether to withhold or remove life support, food, or hydration.

But it does not guide Emergency Medical Personnel. And should not be confused with a general Durable Power of Attorney, which is for financial affairs, and does not include authority to make health care decisions.

A POLST (Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment) is not for everyone, but for persons with serious illness — at any age; is a medical order completed with and signed by your health care professional to assure you receive the care you want; and when it is made available, a POLST guides actions by emergency medical personal and inpatient treatment decisions. And since a POLST is a medical order, a copy is kept in your medical records so it is easily located during an emergency.

In addition to helping you make decisions in advance to insure you receive the treatment and care you want, another important benefit that you should not be overlooked is an Advance Directive and POLST may take some of the burden off of your loved ones during difficult medical situations.

The Center will hold its annual Rummage Sale on the third weekend in June, but in the meantime the Center needs to make room to store all the donated items - which means BAG SALE! The Center will be selling nice used clothing, fabric and craft yarn by the bag on Saturday May 3^rd from 9:00 to 2:00 in the downstairs of the Center.

During the month of May at the Center’s Tuesday Night Music, there will be pie and ice cream for sale to satisfy your sweet tooth and help support the Center. And on the 6^th of May starting at the top of the batting order is Andre and the Strawberry Mountain Band. And as regular as the sun setting in the west, music starts at 7:00 and wraps up by 9:00. And everyone is welcome.

The answer to last week’s “Remember When” questions are two Gales: Gale Storm, star of My Little Margie and her own show; and Gale Gordon who played Principal Osgood Conklin on Our Miss Brooks. (And the winner of Saturday Breakfast is Nadine McCracken.)

This week how about one more “double your pleasure” set of questions where the answers have something in common. Who was the American actor and cultural icon born in 1933 and starred in only three films including the 1955 movie Rebel without a Cause? And who was a country music singer born in 1928, recorded the hit “Big Bad John”, and hosted his own variety show from 1963- 66 that helped bring country music into the mainstream? For five free Quilt Raffle tickets, e-mail your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788 or drop it off in a 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder with a pound of premium pork sausage.    

Well, it has been another week trying to stay grounded while the wind blows. Until we meet again, there comes a time when you realize you no longer need to keep score. 

“You’ll never find a rainbow if you’re looking down.” Charlie Chaplin 

Wednesday (30) Roasted Pork and Gravy

Thursday (1) Spaghetti with Meat Sauce 

Friday (2) Lemon Pepper White Fish 

Monday (5) Salisbury Steak

Tuesday (6) Meat Loaf with Au-Gratin Potatoes