Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Caregivers Struggle To Honor Requests Not To Be 'Sent Away' To Nursing Homes
The Washington Post: ‘Promise You’ll Never Put Me In A Nursing Home’
Promise you won’t put me away. It is hard to say no to that request. But it often is even harder to honor it. There’s now a wider spectrum of facilities catering to different levels of need, but even the best ones can feel institutional. [Many] caregivers [are] concerned that being in an institution would hasten a loved one's decline. People in [that] position engage in a constant calculus: How long can you hold a job, take care of a declining loved one, and stay healthy before something cracks? Where is the line between self-abnegation and self-preservation? How do you balance the best interests of the sick person and those of other family members? (Bahrampour, 2/8)
