Weighing healing vs. side effects
My mother-in-law suffers from congestive heart failure, which results in shortness of breath that limits her activity. As her body retains fluid, her shortness of breath increases. The remedy to this problem is by taking a pill that helps the body to get read of the extra fluid (diuretic medicine). However, as a side effect, this medication makes her sleepy.
Despite her shortness of breath, at 90 years old, my mother-in-law is a very active woman. She volunteers at the hospital, plays cards with her girlfriend, and attends to her yard. While the medication helps decrease the shortness of breath, its side effect was affecting the quality of her life as she spends the morning sleeping instead of being engaged in her favorite activities.
All medications have side effects, and at times, for some people, the downside of those side effects may outweigh the healing benefit of the medicine. There are many examples of medications that started as ‘the best cure’ and ended up being pulled off the shelves as their side effects were severely damaging.
The importance of socialization
There’s a great deal of research on the effect of loneliness and social isolation on seniors. In the conversations I have with my clients about the benefits and disadvantages of moving a loved one into a senior care community, I always talk about the many good reasons to stay at home (aging in place). But at the same time, I point out the risk of social isolation that comes with living at home by oneself.
The most common risks of social isolation are:
- Increased depression and anxiety: Depression can lead to poor eating and sleeping, which weakened the immune system and affect the general quality of a person’s life.
- Decreased cognition and higher risk for dementia, especially for those who are already showing early signs of declined cognition.
- Decreased physical activity that can lead to weakness and increased falls
- Decreased outdoor activity: reduced exposure to the sun leads to a low level of Vitamin D that is essential to the immune system and to keep healthy bones.
These risk factors not only affect the quality of the aging person’s life but cause an increase in mortality.
The medicine that may, or may not, save lives
No question that COVID 19 caught us completely by surprise and unprepared. There was a lot unknown about the disease, but we quickly realized that something needed to be done or we’d face a catastrophe.
In a short time, we learned that the most vulnerable population defines by age and health. People at the age of seventy-five and older were at the highest risk of being severely affected by the virus.
That risk grew tremendously if you also had background diseases such as diabetes, COPD, high blood pressure, congestive heart failure or end-stage dementia. Those with a suppressed immune system, regardless of age, were also in that high-risk category.
Therefore, it made sense to protect these vulnerable populations by isolating them. It made sense to take the necessary steps to keep them healthy and alive. Thus, we began “social distancing.”
But as time passes, the social distancing has turned, unintentionally, into social isolation. And social isolation, as mentioned above, has its own risk of increased mortality. So is social distancing, when it leads to social isolation a double-edged sword?
What is the best solution?
I am often asked, “What is the best assisted living facility in town?” My answer is always the same “There is no best assisted living; there is the one or two that is best for you.”
The same is in this current situation. As long as we don’t have a full-proof cure or vaccine to prevent COVID-19, there is no “best solution.” But there may be the best solution for your loved one.
You have to consider all of the benefits and disadvantages of social isolation and how it is affecting or benefiting your loved one. When you weigh all of factors, you can make a decision that would best serve you and your loved one.
If you are not sure what the best solution for you and your loved one, give us a call. While we don’t have the only right answer to this question, we can help you start the conversation about this complicated subject.