Reply #9: I try to stay out of those places

[Malva Zebrina]

and I am a retired nurse with more than thirty five years experience.!!

One needs to take inventory of their life as they get older. It may or may not include hospital stays--however it does help to have someone other than hospital personel to take care of you as you get older. Hospital personal, in my opinion, although most innocent and sincere, are connected to a certain taught and learned mindset and that mindset favors them, the current trends, and what they have learned is the proper course for YOU--if you want to have a mindset that is yours alone ,and is based upon your perception of life , you need to confront yourself and take charge. It does help to discuss this with your family, if you have one. Seek those persons out now before you lose it to the illnesses and the perils of old age. If not, then one must confront reality--there will be few who will understand you as you get older, believe me. You will , in short time, become "irrelevant" and out of the mainstream, even though you do not think that is the case. Nevertheless, stick to your guns, for you know where it is that you want to go and how it is that you want to end this life. Make up your own mind what you will do to skate and navigate to the end of your life in dignity and take the appropriate course to insure that your wishes will be respected.