Is Prolonging Life Really A Healthcare Benefit?


by Ethan C Kalvin - Date: 2010-10-20 - Word Count: 385 Share This!

There are multiple things that contemporary medicine has to offer people and when we look at those living in other countries without proper healthcare or even vital drinking water for example things are tougher and so life expectancy is shorter than people who live in the US. The US is one of the more superior countries when it comes to healthcare advancements in medicinal technology but this is adding up to more expensive healthcare system in general.

Many of the current advancements tend to prolong life but the quality of that life is something that has been debated for a long time. For those who are suffering with serious illnesses like cancer and diabetes many things are being done to make the life just a little bit longer. When a sick person lives longer, in many cases, they just become even sicker and require more treatments which is in turn more expensive.

As those who have been successfully managed throughout their lifetime have discovered there are many additional ailments that roll in for those who are now living to 90 or 100. Many of these individuals need to be placed in homes or need round the clock health care which adds up to big money and even if they don't need these things they will most likely be treated for Alzheimer's, arthritis, and dementia.

Financially these can be compounded and even though all people do not live to be of 100 years old then it could be wondered whether these life saving techniques are worthwhile rather than just adding on an additional expense while having little or no benefit to those who have become invalid, without sight, or just can't enjoy the basic functions of life.

At the very least this is an issue that is controversial but you consider that those who are at the age of ninety, for example, and cannot remember where they live, you could wonder if saving them from chronic heart disease a few years earlier would be in everyone's best interest. Although this is a touchy issue it needs to be considered. Now think about the fact that we willing to put our sick animals to sleep so they can avoid pain but we are not willing to let our loved ones live pain-free. This does not really make any sense at all.

Related Tags: extending life, prolonging life, prolonging your life

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