A Ponder about preservation

What is it about our generation that is so into preserving? It seems that we love to preserve, fight to preserve, and protect the right to preserve. I see so many people in my generation that try to make a decision based on how it will protect the planet, or buying an older home and restoring it to it's original condition (often recycling here too), or looking at ways to protect the rights that we already have in place to preserve what is out there. Are we extra connected to our grandparents and we just don't know it? There are some times that the battle cry of a mission sounds so reminicent of the 60's and it almost makes me laugh. I love that era, I love the drive to fight for what is right, and it almost brings out this joy of the crusade in me. I just can't figure out why.
These thoughts have come to my mind because of the recent enlightenment of my grandmother's condition. She's 82, and I know that is older, but I wonder. How is it that when Camryn was born, she was sharp as a tack, walking 3 miles a day, and the life of the party. Now she sits in her apartment most of the day, watches TV, and forgets her day to day tasks. It saddens me, how she can forget her medication, where her personal items are (meds, keys, etc.), but her brain has somehow preserved the lyrics from her favorite childhood songs? I too remember singing brown bear, twinkle twinkle, and where is thumper, but it's not a place I go to if I am not with my children. With this behavior becoming more apparent in the last 6 months, it's time to take action. All of the typical thoughts have come up. Home health nurse to check in on her, getting the bloodwork and CTs to see if somethings really going on, and of course, assisted living. How can we get her what she needs and preserve who she is as a person? Is assisted living something that just goes against everythign I want to fight for, but a necessity because her safety should rule all selfish decisions? It's odd how at 23 I lost my grandfather and understood what I was doing and the decisions he made, he was coherent enough to do so. What I don't understand is how at 29 I feel like a kid who isn't mature enough to understand what is best for her. I want to preserve her life, her will, and her purpose, but I don't know how putting her in assisted living can do that.
I suppose most of this doesn't help when I have a cousin who is about to turn 29 and suffers from AML and has had a fever for over 100 days. He has been going to HCMC for his medical care, which is great, but my family started to wonder this time, is he getting all the treatment he can? Can we do more? So he went to MAYO. The best in the world. They said, his treatment is dead on. Now from the begining of his illness road, he has only wanted to preserve who he is and not change. Sure, there are some things, weight loss, time in the hospital, and living with a port that you can't get rid of and those things are changes of who you really are. However, Mike is still Mike. He lives, laughs, and loves like he always have. Whole-heartedly. We love him and admire him deeply for that. It's amazing to me how anyone can endure so many physical battles and still preserve who they really are. He takes trips, takes risks, and remembers to tell those close to him "I love you" and hug them tightly.
So why can I not understand the difference and help make those decisions for my grandmother that need to be made for her? Why can't I understand the balance of what you need and what you NEED. I guess it's because it's not her spirit driving it? How can you make the decision to preserve for someone else?