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| Bringing color & light into my home! |
Aging is not necessarily the golden years as we are told when we are younger. In reality, it seems that the golden years are probably your twenties and thirties. Those are the years you are grown up and able to do the most. If you can take care of your physical body as well as the mental side, life should be great. If you do take care of yourself by eating a healthy diet, getting exercise and expand your mind, maybe your so called "golden years' will be much brighter than most. When I worked in a nursing home, I remember our in-service instructor telling the class that the people you see in the nursing home are a very small portion of the elderly population. That most elderly people live on their own in their own homes. It was true then, but is it now? Now it seems that a large portion of elderly move to "senior communities" which are pretty darn nice.
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| St. Bartholomew's Catholic Church, Norwich, NY |
Losing your independence and being forced to leave your home is a big worry of most. Often when a spouse dies the other one does not even think about their own future for a period of time. There comes a time when you must take charge whether you feel like it or not. Or your life could go downhill from there. My grandmother was alone due to being separated from my grandfather. She was Catholic and would not even consider divorce. If it wasn't for her religion and she divorced, could she have remarried and lived her life happier? Maybe. She had a very low opinion of men though and I can't picture her doing that. Even if she had been free to find someone else. If she had, it is possible she could have kept her home and had a better life. Not being able to drive also was another roadblock for her. If she had been able to go back to work or move to the city, she would have been better off financially. Her life could have been much brighter in her golden years.
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| Entrance with places to put things away upon entering. |
It is my opinion that if you stay busy by doing things that you are focused on then things like memory loss or losing touch with reality will not happen. As long as these are issues that are not the result of illness. There are ways to counter this happening to you. A start is to always put things back where they belong! Find a spot for everything and do not change it ever again. Immediately after coming into your home put things away........your keys, your purse, items you just bought, etc. I always take off my mask and hang it on a hook inside my entrance to my apartment. Then I take off my shoes and leave them in a spot near the door. Put my keys in a basket on my way into the main room. You get the idea. I like to think if I lost my sight, I would still know my way around my home. Everything has a place and everything is in that place unless I am using it. You have to be disciplined about it.
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| Intercom and basket for keys are here. |
Safety in your home is important too. In this day and age it is important to keep your doors locked. Don't let anyone in that you don't know! If someone is coming for an appointment, make sure it is the person you are expecting. Living in an apartment building it is pretty easy to do this. We have video cameras all over the place.They don't do any good at the moment someone is coming in unless someone is working in the office. Our doors are locked and you must have a key or know a code to get into the building. If you are expecting someone they have to use the intercom system that will ring into your apartment. You can speak to them to make sure it is someone you know or are expecting. Press the button to open the locked door to let them in. I keep my apartment locked at all times. I never let anyone into the building unless they are coming to my apartment.
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| Grab bar is securely attached! |
Another worry of people in my age group is falling. Falling can take away your independence in an instant. Keeping your home neat and clean is a good start. Do not put anything on the floor that you could trip over. Take a good look at your floor now. Small rugs, shoes that you took off and did not put away, a package that came and you haven't opened yet, a small cat, dog or rabbit following you, etc. Look carefully to see what you could fall over. You might think your pet is sleeping in the bedroom and when you take a step, there they are! In your bathroom, have grab bars installed securely. I know for me, these things have saved me from falling many times. There is one on the outside of my shower which I have come to rely on, as well as two inside. A shower chair is another good thing to prevent falls in the shower.
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| My rolling walker! |
Don't be too proud to use a walker! I have a stationary one near my bed so when I get up during the night it steadies me. I have a rolling walker that I use all the time. Even if your doctor does not prescribe it for you, buy one anyway. They are not that much money and can save you from falling. Breaking a hip or worse would make you regret not having one and losing your independence. I love mine!
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| New Slippers! |
Wear shoes in your home! Yes, I know many people like to take off their shoes when they get home, but walking around in your socks can result in a fall. If you must wear socks, get those non-slip types that have grips on the bottom. I have never liked walking around barefoot or in my socks. I wear slippers all the time. I probably go through two pairs a year, buying the same pair on eBay every time.
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| Don't trip over your pet! |
There will always be things to worry about. That is life. We just have to take care of ourselves the best way we can. Especially if we want to remain independent and happy. If you are not independent now, find ways that you can be. Living with others does not mean you can't establish your own independence to a point. Accepting help from others is something we must sometimes do regardless. Illness happens. Just as financial stress does and a zillion other burdens. Keep your chin up and never give up!
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