I don't know a whole lot about nursing homes, but I could learn if I have to. My parents (who are in their 50s) probably don't know much more than I do about nursing homes unless they've been doing some research lately, but they could also learn if they have to. We all have access to the same information and the same resources. If a nursing home decision had to be made right this exact minute, I am no better equipped than my parents to make this decision.
So why would I suddenly be better equipped 30 years from now? Yes, I'll probably learn more stuff from living in the world. But so will they - they live in the world too. Yes, I know some people get dementia or similar, but it's practically expected that the adult children are making their parent's care decisions instead of the parent making their own decisions. Why aren't the elders making these decisions for themselves?
This happens in other areas too. People manage their parents' money. Why? Weren't the parents managing their money before their kids were even born? Why would you lose that ability? Scammers prey on seniors. Why are seniors more susceptible to scams? Shouldn't they be even more familiar with potential scams since they've been around longer?
5 comments:
People pick out their parents' nursing homes and manage their money when the older adults can no longer manage it themselves.
Dementia is a worst-case scenario, but there is a deterioration of intellect even absent Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia. Many elderly people lose rational brain functions, the ability to make clear, rational decisions, the ability to take care of routine tasks like financial decisions. That's what makes them vulernable to scammers.
It goes along with failing eyesight, hearing, reflexes, muscle tone, and the rest.
From my limited experience with nursing homes, through my grandmother (Alzheimer's) and my sister who is a geriatric nurse, I would say that most people in nursing homes (as opposed to assisted-living retirement homes) could not have chosen the home themselves or been involved in any of the decision-making.
I think I was including assisted-living homes in with nursing homes. I was just typing without giving much thought to word choice. (Don't worry, random present and future clients who are spying on me, I systematically confirm this kind of terminology when I'm working).
A few questions occur:
1. Do they realize this is happening?
2. What would happen if they do try to make rational financial decisions (not in the context of a scam, just regular life)? Would it come out wrong? Would they just throw up their hands and say "This is too hard!"?
3. Does it deteriorate regardless of what your cognitive skills are (e.g. everyone loses 20%, if we assume it can be quantified like that), or does it deteriorate more or less to a certain level so people who have never had higher skills aren't going to lose as much? To use a fake example that explains the concept more clearly, if someone who can successfully make a fortune day-trading deteriorates to the point where they can only just balance their chequing account, would someone who could only just balance a chequing account to start with also deteriorate dramatically, or would they be fine?
4. Could this loss of rationality make people more intolerant (for example, make them say racist things when there's really no need) and/or make them more susceptible to sensationalist political propaganda?
1. Sometimes, sometimes not. If they do realize, they are often VERY upset by it and become defensive. (Can't say I blame them.)
2. Yes, the decision would come out wrong, but chances are high that they would not recognize it as wrong. "This is too hard" - I don't know. Probably depends on the person. Some would try to fake it, others would give up. That's my educated guess.
3. No idea. I know people generally think it's more awful when a super intellect deteriorates, but I don't know if there's a difference in deterioration based on intellectual capacity.
4. It can and it does - similar to traumatic brain injury. A member of my extended family is experiencing this right now. She was a real intellectual and very progressive, and is now basically a dumb redneck. It's horrific, especially for those of us old enough to feel the future approaching.
3.
I need to get a book on this.
Re: 2, what I'm wondering is whether your formerly fully competent skills deteriorate to a more childlike status, or if it deteriorates more in a different direction. For example, I don't understand the stock market but I do understand credit cards. When I get old, will I lose the ability to understand credit cards? Or will I somehow get the idea that I actually do understand the stock market and invest all the money there. I guess the trick in long-term planning is to set things up so that even if I do it wrong, it just comes up sub-optimal, doesn't completely mess things up.
Re: 4, I wish I knew WTF to do about it. And I really resent that I'm supposed to continue to respect people in that situation as though they have "wisdom". And in the situation that led me to think of that question, the hateful statements made didn't even make sense a) in the logical flow of the conversation, and b) within the internal logic of racism itself.
And also re: 4, I wonder how this will affect politics once the whole baby boomer generation is experiencing this loss of rationality but they still have demographic weight and are still allowed to vote.
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