A Parent's Decline

A few years ago, while one of our nurses and I were talking dizziness, balance and falls among seniors at a local health fair…a lady stopped by to tell us that she had just returned from a skydiving vacation.  She explained that her husband had died a couple of years earlier…and at age 71…she decided that she needed to recapture some of what they loved most in life…which was travel and adventure.

Her two children were very concerned about her plans to visit Machu Picchu and other South American locations. They lovingly offered advice on how she should be more careful…what if she got sick or hurt in a foreign country…or why not plan a trip to Wisconsin Dells with the Grandkids!?!

Having none of it…she explained to her children that she did not intend to sit around waiting to die.  It seems that her husband was ill for several years before his death…and they were forced to give up their travels.  Now, it was time to get back to life…so she joined a gym.  She said that the years of bedside care had provided the perfect venue for extra weight to accumulate.  She added that she and her husband had climbed pyramids…and she wanted to get stronger for the climb up the terraces of Machu Picchu.

O.K….pyramids may not be on the itinerary for most of us… but that 71 year old lady demonstrates that ….Like any other time in our lives, struggleand challenge and often more beneficial to our well-being than being helped or waited on.  We’ve all heard of the USE IT OR LOSE IT paradigm…where loss of ability is credited to lack of use. Emotional and psychological well-being can also be a casualty of age related lack of activity.  So when Mom and Dad reduce or stop their pursuit of a daily life…their physical activity is reduced and their emotional well-being is held hostage by lack of human interaction…lack of involvement…and just plain boredom.

That’s why we always encourage our patients to challenge everything.  If a walk around the block is tough…set your goal at 2 blocks.  Maybe it’s time to learn to swim!  Or learn a new language!  Medical Science has shown us time and time again how people with disabilities and illnesses maintain control over their lives with constant challenges to do more and do better… and the achievements are wonderful! 

Keep moving!

Mike