Medieval medicine...

Yesterday D and I spent the day with my sister R in Boston.  We visited the typical tourist hangouts including the Aquarium, Faneuil Hall, Boston Common and Newbury St.  I believe my sister enjoyed herself.  R experienced a horrific trauma as a child, and as a result has spent the past 20 or so years in a state of severe clinical depression.  I know that spending time with her is a good thing, but is that enough?  I feel like I should be more involved with her life but frankly, I am more comfortable helping the kids from the adolescent home then working  with her.  Does that make me a bad person?  We should always put family first, right?  I am not sure why I am not more motivated to help here.  I suspect some of my reluctance comes from having to relive my own childhood.  I also become very angry with my father when I see what he did to her.  I am going back down Friday to meet with her ECT doctor to discuss her treatment.  R's memory is very damaged and her general reasoning abilities have steadily declined over the years.  She receives ECT (electro convulsive therapy) 2 - 3 times per month.  She believes that ECT is the only treatment that provides relief to her depression.  I suggested EMT (Electro Magnetic Therapy) but apparently her insurance will not pay for it.  I cannot believe in this day and age we are still employing a practice that involves sending 200 watts of electricity through somebody's brain.