Decision Making and Estate Dispute Resolution for the Older Client: A Geriatrician's Perspective

• Author: Dr. A. Mark Clarfield
• Pages: 11-15

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Decision Making and Estate Dispute

ResolutionfortheOlderClient

AGERIATRICIANSPERSPECTIVE

DrAMarkClareldFRCPC*

ClearlywiththeagingofCa nadaspopulationtheissueofestateplan-

ningfor theelderlyhas becomei ncreasinglyrelevant Howevertheis-

sue requires the expert ise of various disciplines of which two of the

mostimportantarerepresentedtodaylawandmedicine

Iamindeedhonouredthat youhaveaskedmeas ageriatrician to

presentsomepreliminary thoughtsont hisissue Butinorderto doso

rstwemustdene whatwemeanbyolderWhatisagingWhoar e

theelderlyHowandinwhatwaysdotheydierfromyoungerpeople

Howarethesedierencesrelevanttoestateplanni ng

Wecan deneaging from atleast two points ofview biological

anddemographicIn bothca sesitis worthwhileto emphasizet hathu-

managingcomprisesaspectr umButbeforewegettothegoodnewsit

issoberingtokeepinmindasJohnMaynardKeynesputitthatInthe

longrunwerealldeadIndeedagingdoesleadinevitablytodeathand

thatisoneofitsenduringandinevitablequalitiesThatbeingsaidsome

peopleagequicklyotherslesssoButclearlyeventuallyagingwilltake

its toll on all of us.

Sometimes the ravages oft his process are relevant to the iss ueat

handespec iallyif the olderperson suers fromcog nitiveimpairment

 SidonieHechtProfessorofGer iatricsBen GurionUniversityoftheNege vIsrael

and Israeli Progra m Director of the Medical Sc hool for International Health of Be n-

GurionUniversityincol laborationwithColumbi aUniversityNY