The term elderly often refers to individuals who are sixty-five years old or older. It is also considered the age of retirement, which could ignite a grieving
process if the person did not plan for the engagement with a different activity to fulfill that potential void.
In many cases, they could have a partner that could be going through the same process, where both could offer support to each other, but if this is not the
case the partner is deceased, this could create a bigger challenge to navigate.
Children, if they had them, are going to potentially have their own families, and this could have created certain distance over time. If they did not have
children, hopefully they could have a solid group of friends to share moments with, avoiding loneliness.
I will now share certain concepts to be aware of when interacting with the elderly that I personally utilized while working in a nursing home for a few
years. The first concept would be kindness. Certainly, individuals at the nursing home were often much older than the age mentioned above, but in a few
scenarios if a significant disability was part of their presentation, they could be even younger in some cases.
Kindness comes with the understanding of their challenges and necessities. Before we can be kind to someone, we must observe and assess what is
actually missing. In many cases, the acknowledgment of their presence was enough to ignite a conversation, and I am not talking about small talk, I am
talking about them sharing impactful experiences from their past that brought them to life in that moment in time.
This takes me to my next concept, and this is respect. For some unknown reason, I have seen many people address the elderly as if they were kids. This
certainly comes from a place of both ignorance and condescendence that is unacceptable in my eyes. I would suggest embracing them as powerful
individuals with vast knowledge and experience, and so by listening to them, you would gain priceless insights that you can utilize for your own life.
They have earned their age by going through successes and failures that shaped who they are today. Respect the process they went through, be quiet,
and try to absorb as much as possible from their tellings. I also feel that empathy plays a big factor in understanding what could be
their frustrations. During my time at the nursing home, I saw that slowly losing their independence is what could be affecting them the most. Suddenly, options
are fewer, and adaptation could be a difficult task. At the same time, generationally, there can be a massive gap between them and people around
them, causing a disruption within the overall interaction.
Helping them to find purpose again would be essential to awaken their spirit. This can be done by engaging in active conversation as I already mentioned
before and trying to find activities they enjoyed in the past that you can safely recreate in the present. This way you establish a new routine that could
transform into a daily highlight for them. I suggest combining the nature of a game with a subtlety connected to their prior profession, if they enjoyed it of
course.
Another aspect to be aware of is the potential cognition decline they could be going through. Cognitive processing could be much slower than in their prime
years, posing potential challenges when trying to convey an idea. At the same time, Alzheimer’s is one of the most common types of dementia that could
manifest over time. This condition usually presents itself with abnormal brain patterns that can affect memory, processing ability, and daily functioning. It is
important to educate yourself on the matter, and to offer compassionate support if this occurs.
Physical decline can also happen if the individual stopped physical exercise after a certain age or if exercise never happened at all. It is important to insert
a daily exercise routine according to their capacity, as this would bring back some independence if they have lost it along the way, but also it will assist with
the release of important neurotransmitters like dopamine (motivation and reward, motor control, hormonal regulation, cognition and focus) and serotonin
(Mood regulation, sleep cycles, appetite and satiety).
Lastly, what I feel is the most important aspect of all when caring for the elderly; it is the art of companionship. Even if everything I have suggested so
far fails, the ministry of presence can make all the difference they would need. This nonjudgmental approach emphasizes acting as a human vessel to gather
and protect the essence and energetic message the person is emanating. No words spoken, just two beings bonding through silence, one of the highest
forms of intimacy that signals safety and trust.
Resources
https://www.lifeline.ca/en/resources/14-exercises-for-seniors-to-improve-
strength-and-balance/
https://www.conversationswithmydad.net/post/the-ministry-of-presence-
showing-up-matters-more-than-you-think