Topic: support
Sarah was always an independent, brilliant, engaged woman. Her sons joyfully share stories of how growing up their home was welcoming and where everyone hung out.
She was a whiz in the kitchen, the best homework helper, perpetually punctual, and appeared to be in more than one place at once when her active children had conflicting activity schedules. These attributes continued well into her 80s with family gatherings, church activities, community engagement, and volunteer work.
Changes That are Out of Character. But something appeared to have changed not long after Sarah’s husband, Richard, passed away. While she was noticeably shaken and grieving the loss, she was frequently repeating herself, disengaged from her usual activities, and barely eating. She was unaware of the changes. This was out of character for her. …
My Mom Refuses to Accept Help! Lack of Insight May Be the ReasonRead More »
In Counting on Kindness: The Dilemmas of Dependency, author Wendy Lustbader takes a deep dive into the world of older adults who, through illness or disability, are dependent on others for survival. First published in 1991, Counting on Kindness is as relevant today as it was then—perhaps even more so considering the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As Lustbader shares in the preface, “The chief consequence of dependency is that we are forced to count on the kindness of others.”
As independent as we may think we are, the past 16-plus months have helped many of us recognize how interdependent and dependent we are on the kindness of others. …
From Independence to Interdependence: Counting on the Kindness of OthersRead More »
Much as we would like to imagine an elderhood free from troubles, the truth is, we are all likely to need help eventually. And on several levels. …
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