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Weekend Wisdom from One Of My Seniors

Aging and finding appropriate care in today’s environment can be complicated. When I spend time with seniors, helping them navigate the senior living process, they often benefit from my valuable insight into the care and conditions at various assisted living and memory care communities in our area. As I learn about their care needs, finances and social concerns, I often learn more life lessons from them than they learn from me.

One weekend, I spent time with a gentleman named Karl. He gave me some gems that are very insightful into the aging process:

  • I’m 98 years old. I’m not stupid. I can even email and use a cell phone. Don’t get mad at me because I want my bills to show up in the mail and I want to write a check at the grocery store. Don’t laugh at me when I don’t understand why the TV needs three remotes. My childhood home did not have running water and we used an outhouse for a toilet. I’ve learned a lot.
  • I turn the lights on all the time because I can’t see in low light. I turn the heat on because I am always freezing even in warm weather. I want to drive because I think I can.
  • Tell the people close to you that you love them now. They may be gone tomorrow, or you may be gone tomorrow. Either way, don’t put it off.
  • The older I get, the less people pay attention to me. I can wait for what seems like hours trying to get help in a department store. Salespeople need to learn that seniors have money, and we should not be ignored.
  • I’ve lost my tolerance for stupid people. I don’t care if it is the newscaster on TV or the neighbor blaring his music at 2 a.m. I don’t have time for BS and I have no problem telling people how I really feel.
  • My family likes to argue with me all the time about politics, world events, finances, or what soap to use for my laundry. It’s not that I’m stubborn, it’s that I’ve made up my mind about many things over a long period of time and I am not going to change my opinion. I’ve earned it. Respect it or walk away.
  • I am just short of my 100th birthday. I still think I have a lot of life left to live. I may still do something memorable with the time I have left. Don’t limit me.

Seniors have accumulated years of life experience and can teach us about enduring change and handling life’s challenges. Please treat them with respect. Listen. Affirm. Be kind and polite. And be thankful. Many of the comforts we take for granted are gifts from them.

At CarePatrol, helping seniors find the best assisted living, memory care and in-home care options is just part of what we do every day. Our process involves doing a thorough Care Discovery to determine the level and kind of care needed. We review finances to put a plan in place so seniors do not outlive their assets. We schedule family meetings to get everyone on the same page. Most importantly, we love our seniors because they deserve our care.

If you need help finding care for a senior, you can reach Eric Klein, CSA, CPRS at CarePatrol via (847) 653-1213 or eklein@carepatrol.com.