Join the ConversationEarlier this month, the Health AGEnda reached a milestone with its 1,000th reader comment/repost. In response to Nora OBrien-Suric writing about how challenging it can be to coordinate care for her increasingly frail, demented friend – even when that friend is a geriatric social worker surrounded by experts in elder care – Mr. Chuck Ross posted this sympathetic response as comment #1,000:

“This is such a tricky issue. Your friend’s daughters must be beside themselves. I don’t think there really is a ‘solution.’ The dementia would be the most troubling aspect, to me – is there enough of a mind there for your friend to use in making her decisions. But, in general, I think her free will trumps all, as tough as that is to accept or work with. It does have to be heartbreaking for family and friends, though.”

It turns out Mr. Ross is a natural at engaging in public dialogue. He maintained his own personal blog for several years, recounting his experiences as a caregiver for his aging father, and he now blogs for AARP. But you don’t have to be a pro or even an amateur blogger to join the conversation. Any notes of support, understanding, and shared experience help us know when we are hitting on something important.

We heard, for example, from reader Terri, in response to one of Amy Berman’s courageous posts about her crusade – as both a professional and patient – to put people at the center of their care:

“I, too, am so glad to read your most recent post, Amy. As a former Hospice Social Worker, I continue to share your writings with those I believe will be helped and inspired by them. Thank you so much for your work, your voice and your courage. You are in my ongoing prayers.”

While Terri is sharing Amy’s story with others, we want to share your stories and ideas, too. Feel free to use your comments to alert us to related articles, resources, and notable news that we should be telling others about.

We also need your contrary opinions and challenging ideas to help us do a better job of understanding the world around us. We heard plenty of dissent when Chris Langston gave his admittedly pessimistic end-of-year report on the limited effect of new bonus payments on the still-declining numbers of new geriatric medicine fellows. In addition to concrete suggestions about what beyond the bonuses would really make a difference, we heard from people who are downright optimistic about the future. Commenter Stefan Gravenstein wrote:

“I think there the rising tide of enthusiasm for geriatrics is just beginning, as we re-think our roles as healthcare leaders rather than just another discipline. Whether it’s about wound care, collaborative care, healthcare policy, delirium prevention, social intervention and networking, to name a few, time is on our side. That enthusiasm will be more effective in recruiting future fellows than the $$, although the $$ can only help.”

We sure hope so, and we will work with leaders in the field to test some of these hypotheses and see how we can be supportive.

Health AGEnda gives Hartford Foundation staff and guests opportunities to share our thoughts with the world about how to improve the health of older adults. We can only hope this has an impact in some way. What we can count on for certain is that your comments and input will have an impact on us at the Foundation and on our work, so thank you for joining the conversation.

P.S. There are other ways to join the discussion beyond commenting on our blog. Sign up for our soon-to-be redesigned e-newsletter and contribute ideas and news, and connect with us through Twitter and Facebook. And until April 15th, you can join the conversation by entering our Heroes of Geriatric Care Story Contest. Send us your essay or video about exemplary geriatric care and earn a top a prize of $3,000!