Stale Dated on the Shelf of Life

LIFE

When I used to be someone, I gave classes at the local hospital on memory loss and how to prevent it among other things.  In the course of researching medical studies on aging and cognitive impairment I came across a study by some Australian Ophthalmologists that said essentially that we weren't intended to live much past 35-40 years of age.  Nature intended for us to reach an age to bear young, raise them long enough for them to achieve some independence and then pop off. Their point was that vitamin supplementation, etc was probably necessary for continued quality of life since we were never intended to live that long.  I termed this the "stale dated on the shelf of life" effect for my classes.  60 may be the new 40 in terms of activity, interests and abilities but it sure as heck isn't middle age which some refer to it as.  How many people do you know routinely live to 120?  While it is true that there was a researcher who recently claimed the first person to live to 150 has already been born and he is probably right - meaning, in my opinion that they were probably born last month not 60 years ago.  We are now living long enough to get the diseases of old age - cancer, Alzheimer's, osteoporosis.  We also get hearing and sight impairments but these generally won't kill you.  Is this an epidemic - well sort of, but only because we are living long enough to earn these disease achievements not because there is something in the water.

My dad is 87 years old and definitely experiencing some mild cognitive impairment.  It's clear he is having difficulty remembering things and time has gotten all wonky for him.  Things that happened years ago he remembers as last week, and things that happened yesterday he thinks happened months ago.  I credit this to the couple of very small strokes he's had that I am aware of and I suspect there have been several more in the last 6 months that are tiny, but have done more damage.  I say this because there has been a significant decline in cognitive function within that time frame.  There are also lapses in judgement.  I find myself now becoming more concerned about safety and have started splitting my time between my place and his which involves a three hour drive each way.  This doesn't just impact me but also my youngest daughter who has stepped up to visit my house twice a day and give the cat her thyroid medication and visit with her when I am gone. 

I know where all this is headed, I used to advise families, Adult Protective services and elder law attorneys on exactly these care issues - so I am well informed, but it doesn't mean I have all the answers and each day is a surprise, like yesterday's "You went to animal control to report your cat missing and you brought home a NEW cat???"  What I wanted to say was "WTF were you thinking?!?", but what I did say, was "Oh, wow how nice, don't give up hope, Mikey might still come home, he hasn't been missing that long".  So dad has two cats again, and if the missing cat comes home it will make for three cats in the home. No more trips to animal control for my father if I can help it, I don't need him adopting any more cats and becoming referred to locally as 'that crazy cat man'.  But unfortunately, I may not have that much control over the matter except to change the cat box.

Update: 3/20/12  While on the phone with Dad last night Mickey the missing cat came home banging on the kitchen door to be let in.  Not sure where he had been for a week and a half, but he was home safe now.  He touched noses with his replacement without resentment and helped himself to a little food.  All is well and Dad now has three cats.

 And they lived happily ever after.