- Adult children aggressively finding ways to understand this developmental phase of life more thoroughly.
- Staying healthily detached from our own emotional reactions to the elderly could enable great caring to occur.
- Understand that since we have not yet experienced this phase of life, we cannot fully identify with it. However acknowledging how someone is feeling during this time can work miracles.
- Resist the temptation to view this is as role reversal. It’s not, though you will find that at times you need to accept there will be some child-like behaviors (from both of you!)
- Find ways to accept that this lovely person is changing in profound ways, and may not resemble the person of their younger days. However, I would venture a guess that you change with each passing phase as well. Just ask your kids. They’ll tell you.
- Look for the underlying feelings you are having that might be causing you to overlook and not support your elderly counterparts.
Get involved. Though not everyone will make it to elder hood, many of us will. How might you want to be regarded at this phase of life? Have you considered how it will feel when the day comes that someone else is making decisions for you? How would you like to be treated if this becomes your inevitability?
Flo was feeling more like living the next day, however questions about how she will be remembered surfaced. We talked again and with as much assurance as I could muster, I promised her I would do what I could to raise awareness.
You’ve just read one of my attempts.
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