How Shall We Care for Our Frail Elders? :: essays research papers fc

How Can We Best Care for our Frail Elders?The issue of what constitutes outperform care for the elderly is not easily identified nor readily defined. There are widely differing points of view, each with its own strengths and limitations. In addition, arguments are often broad of bias and assumptions, making it even more challenging to form an intelligent opinion regarding this difficult problem. Differing points of view provide a variety of evidence, biases, and assumptions to be examined and taken before coming to a personal conclusion.Alan Sager, an associate professor at Boston Universitys School of Medicine, is in favor of a national health insurance policy that guarantees quality health care for everyone (Sager, 152). He insists that the government already spends enough to provide health care coverage for every citizen (Sager, 153). He presents a four-part plan with health care for all with no out-of-pocket expenses, financially neutral physicians and health-care profession als, hospitals operating on limited budgets, and freedom for each individualist to choose a caregiver (Sager, 157). Sager provides many specific percentages, dollar amounts, and population numbers to supply supporting evidence. However, his attacks on Medicare distract from his proposed plan. (Sager, 155).Richard Lamm, former governor of cobalt and current professor at the University of Denver, asks some difficult questions as he challenges the priorities in our current health care system where we spend too a good deal money on high-technology care for a few and too little on basic health care for the many (Lamm, 160). He also cautiously cites percentages and population figures in his evidence statements. However, Lamms biases weaken his argument drastically. He over-uses hot adjectives and draws parallels that do not represent evidence but rather thrust at the readers emotions (pain-racked existence, spend fantastic amounts, small chance of survival, over treating our sick and under educating our kids (Lamm, 159-160). The complexities of this situation run deep. There are no simple answers or one-time, one-size-fits-all solutions. There is not one correct answer. Some of the reasons for many of the uncertainties that cause this problem to be so complex are1)Extreme measures are world taken to extend the bearingtime of very old people2)Sometimes when life is extended the quality of life may be severely cut down3)People with Alzheimers and Dementia are no longer fully aware of their surroundings4)The elderly have already lived for decades5)Opinions about the sanctify of life vary widely.Once an open-ended problem has been identified, the solutions offered must be examined for bias, assumptions, and objections.