Are we ever ready for old age? Do we think about what our lives will be like at 75, 85, 95?
It’s true that we are living longer. In 2015 the average age of death in the US was 78.74 years. Life expectancy for those born in 2017 is 76 for men and 81 for women.
A survey from AARP concluded that being able to age in place in the comfort of their own homes is a big priority for seniors. It found that about 90 percent of people 65 and older want to remain living in their homes for as long as possible.
What else is important to older people? Staying in control! They want to live at home, in their own house (where everything is in the “right” place) and in their community. They want to continue doing what they have always done. They want to remain a vibrant part of society. They want to be able to see their children and grandchildren. Some want to tell and retell their favorite stories or old jokes. My 85 year old friend wants to continue walking her dog. My father wants to talk about how and where he grew up. A now deceased older woman would tell me the same stories. One of her favorites was about how cruel some children could be. They would sing to her:
“Madeleine go wash your feet. The board of health’s across the street.”
The predicament is that the older people get, the more help they need. It’s agonizing to give up the car keys. It’s upsetting how fast technology changes and they can’t keep up with it. And how about getting used to slowly losing hearing, the body not responding the way it used to, or dealing with illness? And oh! those aches and pains.
Avida Home Care to the rescue! Our care providers won’t be able to cure ills, but they will help elders stay in their homes and stay in control. They can do the driving so that the client will continue to be able to go where he/she wants to go. They can listen to the worries about changes in the body. They can help manage illness. They can help with technology so elders can Skype with the children who live far away and see how the grandchildren are growing up. They can help with continuing to be part of the community and perhaps help discover a purpose in life by finding ways to volunteer from home. They can shop for materials needed for knitting, crocheting, scrap booking. They can help with ordering books on tape and learning how to communicate with the younger generation i.e. TEXTING.
These are just some of the ways Avida Home Care providers can help.
And let’s not forget:
‘Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.’
Leo Buscaglia
Emma