Blog 10

Reading chapter 16, I realized the majority of it was review for me. Working in healthcare facilities I've had the opportunity to work with many hospice patients. Even though we are technically supposed to treat every residents the same, hospice patients always received more attention. Why wouldn't they? Some one who is dying should be getting the best possible care and what ever they desire. Although it is a sad time, I enjoyed being in the position to help and care for someone in their last days. I definitely agree with grief process that was explained in this chapter. After losing several close family members myself, I have to say, everybody deals with death differently and in their own way. Just because someone doesn't express their emotions as much as others, doesn't mean they are grieving any less. What I thought was most interesting and had very little knowledge about was the section about the different types of Euthanasia. It puts on perspective on life and how at any moment things could happen to you or a loved one. Would I make the right decision for them? Even though I'm not elderly, after reading this section I really need to compose a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care Decisions for my children's sake and my own.

Blog 9

While reading the article "As good as it gets," I was not at all surprised that other countries such as the Netherlands have better health coverage and actually care what happens to the elders. All Dutch citizens have government insurance for medical conditions and nursing home care; 45 million Americans have no health insurance at all. I think the US should have an "old age pension" at 65 as well, whether you've worked all your life or not every persons deserves to enjoy their golden years and not have to worry about paying bills. I feel so sorry for the older people I see still working especially when it's actual labor work. 14 percent of Americans 65 or older, about 4.8 million people in all, are still on the job where as most European workers retire at age 60 or so, taking advantage of pension generosity. I definitely agree with the European attitude, "we're all in this together and sooner or later we're all going to become older and need some help." Of coarse then we have the US's attitude which is, "we're all rugged individualists and we're going to take care of ourselves,not others." Working in healthcare, I always noticed the residents in facilities are typically Caucasian. It made me think that most Hispanics, Asians, and African Americans, "take care of their own." Meaning, instead of putting their family member in a nursing home, they keep them at home and take care of them as long as they can. The Netherlands, like most developed countries, want to help people maintain their independence and avoid going into nursing homes as long as possible by receiving subsidize home visits by health professionals. Although the US is 30 to 50 percent more expensive regarding drugs, hospitals and physicians, the heath status is about the same. The Europeans have lower cost related to medical expenses but the waiting time seems to be the tradeoff. Like much of Europe and Canada the Netherlands is short of hospital beds and medical staff.

Blog 8

While reading "Is There Love After Baby?" I thought this is something I would find useful since I have have a 10 month old and am currently in a relationship. I remember hearing the top two reasons that couple's divorce is a birth of a child and the death of a child. With that being said, the fact that parents must struggle to keep their their marriage alive once they become parents, came to no surprise. According to recent demographic studies, more than 40 percent of children born to two parents can expect to live in a singe-parent family by the time they are 18. After learning that half of marriages end after having children, it's no wonder some couples remain "child free." Almost all parents in the studies done in this article say they joyful parts outweigh the difficult ones. Being a mother I have to agree, even though sometimes it's tough and exhausting, I couldn't imagine my life without my children. In my relationship, I can relate to the statement of, "Both partners have to make major adjustments of time and energy as individuals at a time when they are getting less sleep and fewer opportunities to be together." That is something both of us struggle with as I think most parents do. Also, I find myself having less patience with things that didn't seem annoying before. We both tend to focus our frustration on each other. A lot of it boils down to " time becomes their most precious commodity." This particular line stood out to me because spontaneity no longer exists like it did when you were a twosome and makes it difficult to keep your intimate relationship alive. For couple's who thought that having a baby was going to bring them closer together, this is especially confusing and disappointing. Studies of emotional distress in new parents suggest that women and possibly men are more vulnerable to depression in the early months after having a child. Important things new parents or expectant couples can do to reduce the strain and enjoy becoming a family are: Share expectations, Give your self regular "check ups", Make time to talk to each other, Negotiate an agenda, Adopt an experimental attitude, Don't ignore sex and intimacy, Talk with a friend or co-worker, and finally, find the delicate balance. On the positive side, becoming a family provides a challenge that for some men and women leads to growth as individuals, as couples, and as parents. For couples who work to maintain or improve the quality of their marriage, having a baby can lead to a revitalized relationship.