The “Official Tourism Website” for England offers good travel information for senior citizens. So seniors whether you’re planning a “holiday” to England, looking for accommodation or simply curious about English culture, this site is where you can read about everything you need to know. It can provide you with quality-assessed hotels, B&Bs and destination guides, [...]
Sometimes it takes a while for topics for this blog to formulate in my brain… and other times ideas just pop up in the course of daily living as a senior citizen and I think, I’ve got to write in SCJ about that; others must be having the same experience.
That happened yesterday when I received a call from my sister about our father (age 95) and step-mother (almost 83). Although Dad’s is seriously advanced, dementia hit both of them as they aged. As is typical, Dad can remember specific times in his childhood, and recounts them over and over and over again. However, his short term memory is shot, and he repeats himself many times because he cannot hold on to a thought more than about 60 seconds. He knows his memory is ‘gone’ and expresses his sadness about that.
Living with extended family is sometimes necessary. Sometimes aging family members experience such demanding health issues that shared responsibility becomes necessary and helpful. A situation of this kind makes for developing some creative and non exhausting means for assisting the person who is ill or disabled. If the caregiving family members are flexible and willing to offer care, it makes for a potentially workable solution.
Costly 24/7 care can be out of the question for many. There are times when a shared living plan among the able/caregiving family members can work. The most important benefit is that caregiving does not fall on any one person’s shoulders; it is shared among family members who volunteer. In the scenario SCJ presents here, they all live together and create a new definition of assisted living. For the most part, it takes discipline for all involved. A sense of duty, humor, shared ethic for accomplishing the things that must be done remains the top
