Residents of Chicago have been as much witnesses of a trend as residents in other American cities. Elderly people who continue to live dignified lives are suddenly left incapacitated or injured without anyone being aware of it as a possibly fatal duration of time. Consequently, many people choose the relative luxury of a nursing home where their loved ones are provided with all of the necessary care, including medical care.

Often, such  hospices , or homes, combine the features of a residence with those of a hospital. In that case, the occupant is not only provided with continual care but also the requisite medical facilities. In many cases, this may continue for the remainder of the person’s life and can often be the difference between a continually sad existence and a dignified passing.

It is important to understand that the elderly are, despite their age, fully capable of making life-affirming decisions on many occasions. In fact, the elderly themselves may choose to retire to an institution that provides the proper care or make arrangements to be moved to the appropriate facility. Since this process may also involve the judgment of a personal physician, the provision of medical care to the elderly is ensured.

The elderly often prefer to have such care services provided for them in their own homes. While there may be other family members living in the home who can provide some level of support, the full-time presence of a certified professional ensures that there is no elder abuse or other lapses in care. As long as there is a doctor available to attend to more serious medical emergencies, the family will not need to fear that their elderly loved one is not receiving the proper, deserved care

Source:  NIA.NIH.gov, “ End of Life: Helping With Comfort and Care ,” Accessed on Sep. 19, 2014

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