This category speaks to matters especially important to caregivers–family members and perhaps professional caregivers–who help make life full for older adults. If nothing else, this category is one way of saying thanks!
The older you get, the less most folks know about you. Two reasons: There are fewer people around you who have known you for awhile. And you probably don’t go around bragging about your history—work, family, adventures, accomplishments, roles, extraordinary knowledge or skills. For those reasons, nothing special about you sticks out in most folks’ minds—and so you are stuck inside only oneMORE...
From what I hear, probably the most difficult adjustment at this stage in life comes when our car keys or driver’s license are taken away. (I’m pretty sure that very few of us voluntarily relinquish this all-important element of our independent living!) The giving up of a car may arise from a near or actual crisis, and it likely precipitates others that seem far worse. I write this entryMORE...
Storytelling—theirs, yours, God’s–can be a pleasurable activity you share with older adults. I come from several generations of story-telling elders, so I love to wade into the stories that others tell, and those I spool out. Storytelling is a nearly-spiritual art that almost anyone can practice and enjoy. Although some stories can get out of hand—length, repetition, degradation ofMORE...
Many older adults may not experience meaningful, enjoyable conversations in their later years. The range of subjects can narrow, topics can repeat themselves and the necessities of old age can push away opportunities for informal chatting or earnest self-revelation. Want to liven up your times of conversation with older adults? See if any of these ideas might be useful: • Keep your conversationsMORE...
A word of grace for those of you who care for an elderly person: You probably have less reason to feel guilty about your level of care than you might imagine. To say that another way: You’re probably doing the best you can with the resources, energy and capabilities that are available to you. Caring for an older neighbor, friend or family member is perhaps the most complicated andMORE...
I’ve seen it coming in too many of the older people I know and love: Throwing in the towel—giving up or just not keeping up. Not caring about most things. Letting life and limb go to pot. Perhaps you’ve experienced small indications that this kind of thinking is germinating inside your spirit…? It’s easy to say that spiritually minded folks shouldn’t give up on life. But as we get older, someMORE...
Many of us who are older will eventually face two facts: Our homes will need extensive repairs, AND we will run out of places to store our possessions. These two certainties can begin to overwhelm us. The repairs won’t be minor—think replacing large appliances or appurtenances—and the stuff we’ve accumulated will encroach on our quality of life. During our older years, it takes considerable cashMORE...
“You reap what you sow”—is a lifestyle axiom that exists in almost all religious traditions. At this time of life, we’re “paying later”—dealing with the consequences of actions or inactions that took place long ago. It’s a tough part of being older, an expected phenomenon that’s still irksome. (Some examples: We didn’t floss when we were younger, and now the endodontist is our new best friendMORE...
A graveyard is a good place to gain perspective on life—in all its tenses and tensions. The past tugging at the shirt sleeves of the present; the future hiding behind gravestones; today’s dirt and dust hiding yesterday’s ashes. In a cemetery, all of life can be rolled into one picture: A collection of markers that signal the lives of remarkable people. Cemeteries also call to mind the questionMORE...
What would happen if your memorial service was a truly unique experience for those who attended? Consider these observations: Most memorial services are buried in words—the verbal outpourings of grieving others who try to find just the right way to express an avalanche of emotions that show themselves in an avalanche of verbiage or platitudes. What would happen if your or my memorial service wasMORE...
BOB SITZE has filled the many years of his lifework in diverse settings around the United States. His calling has included careers as a teacher/principal, church musician, writer/author, denominational executive staff member and meat worker. Bob lives in Wheaton, IL.