"For many of us who are in the thick of caring for aging parents, spouses, or other family members, it's enough just to get through the week. Looking ahead and making future plans can be daunting. We just don't know what the picture will look like a month from now, let alone a year from now, or three years from now.

A recent post in the New York Times' New Old Age blog tackled the difficult subject of how hard it is for older folks and their families to look forward to the decline and frailty that almost inevitablys come with aging - unless sudden death intervenes."