This weekend I flew into KL for a day to visit my unc who's been inflicted by cancer. Bad news is hard to share.
My unc has some heavy choosing to do, and I wish there were a button I could push to make it easier for him. How do you help elderly relatives make difficult decisions? I feel responsible for helping him see and understand al the options. The decision, however, is his to make. If asked I will volunteer my opinion. Otherwise I try hard to remove myself. In this case, it is important that my unc own both the decision and its consequences. The quality of his life, even his life itself, hangs in the balance.
Choosing quality of life is a very intimate and human experience. It is not black and white. It is not right or wrong. It cannot be counted or quantified. It is personal, private and protected from techniques and technologies. It is what makes us human. And sometimes it is hard and very painful.
My unc has some heavy choosing to do, and I wish there were a button I could push to make it easier for him. How do you help elderly relatives make difficult decisions? I feel responsible for helping him see and understand al the options. The decision, however, is his to make. If asked I will volunteer my opinion. Otherwise I try hard to remove myself. In this case, it is important that my unc own both the decision and its consequences. The quality of his life, even his life itself, hangs in the balance.
Choosing quality of life is a very intimate and human experience. It is not black and white. It is not right or wrong. It cannot be counted or quantified. It is personal, private and protected from techniques and technologies. It is what makes us human. And sometimes it is hard and very painful.
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