RTS -Mental health

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Elderly, The Invisible

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Seven hundred thousand people who have dementia in this country are not heard. I’m fortunate; I can be heard. Regrettably, it’s amazing how people listen if you stand up in public and give away $1 million for research into the disease, as I have done. Terry Pratchett
Read more at https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/dementia-quotes

In about six and a half years I will be what society calls “a senior citizen”.  I find myself thinking about what I need to do so that I can live a healthy life.  Also, been thinking about purchasing extra coverage for all things medical.  I have already bought a whole life insurance policy to cover all my final expenses, for I did not want my daughter to be burden with such things.

There is one thing that seems to dominate this conversation that I have with myself, dementia. 

I watched my best friend’s mother go down that hole. I use to share some great times with her.  I watched as she wouldn’t recognize her own son.  Her personality changed totally, she became aggressive.  There were times my best friend would come over after visiting her in the senior home he would sit down and just cry.

I found out that many in that same home that nobody ever came to visit them.  All they had was what they had in their room.  If it weren’t for my friend’s mother I doubt I would have ever found myself visiting the care home.

So, there they are elderly and for what it is worth, invisible!

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  1. cheriewhite

    This post is so powerful, and sadly true. My mother has mentioned this very thing at 64 years old. She notices the difference in how she’s treated by society compared to how she used to be treated and it hurts my heart. She also has Parkinson’s Disease and has a heightened risk of having dementia because of PD.

    Also, I saw a segment on the Sunday morning news not long ago about the “Okay, Boomer” insult that seems to be a trend with the younger generations and it’s the most disrespectful trend I’ve ever heard of. Let someone say that to my mom and they’ll have me to answer to. It seems that people, even adults, have forgotten how to honor the elderly.

    They’ve been here longer than we have and they deserve our utmost respect and reverence. They have a lot they can teach us if people would just stop and listen.

    I love my mother. She has been the rock of this family ever since both my maternal grandmother and my Dad passed away. And I know how she feels when she’s standing in the checkout line fumbling for her change while people behind her stand there and grumble to themselves. But they don’t think that they’ll be that age one day.

    The best I can do is to be there for her, pay attention to her and be the best daughter to her that I can possibly be. Those are my goals when it comes to my mother.

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Rethinking Scripture

      Yes, we only have one mother. They nourished us, showed love to us, protected us.
      Mothers would rather die than see one of her children harm.

      Liked by 1 person

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      1. cheriewhite

        That’s so true. Mom is our Earth Angel!

        Liked by 1 person

  2. Ricky Talks

    I don’t remember if I told you or someone else but I’m a CNA at a nursing home on a dementia/Alzheimer’s and behavioral unit. I’ve been an aide since I was 17 and it’s almost like people forget who came before them and the staff becomes the residents family. At one point in time my own grandmother and now my father have dementia and they’ve changed so much it hurts. I myself have cried many times in anger and hurt because it’s different when it’s your own family that forgets your name. They are the lost soldiers that built the world we have today.

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  3. Angie

    I think the most important thing for us to do is to talk to our children about dementia and try to learn as much as we can about this before it’s too late. This is something that just isn’t discussed and I really believe that no one knows how to handle it when it happens to a loved one. It’s sad. It’s scary. It’s reality. And we can change it if we all work together with the doctors and nurses and hospitals and family, etc. We may not be able to change the fact that dementia exists, but we can help our loved ones not feel so lonely when it gets to that point. We need to have faith and trust that even though they may not know who we are anymore, we can still make a difference in their day by being kind and showing them the love that we all deserve and need.
    Ever notice that the dementia seems to intensify once the person suffering from it is put in a home? Once the family gets too busy to visit? Loneliness speeds things up.

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