Checking in with Seniors

Doozer · **Checking in with Seniors**

I was watching a show either on TLC or some channel like that and it was about seniors and how they felt once they started getting older. They were losing their identities, they were losing their sense of independence and they were losing their social lives. A lot of them that were interviewed were in nursing or retirement homes. The saddest part of the interview was that they felt invisible to the world. They said it's hard enough getting older but when you are segregated into "homes" and left out of the mainstream you start to get depressed. You start wondering if anyone will remember you or if you meant anything at all to anyone. It was really sad to hear

So my suggestion is, whether or not you know of anyone who is in a nursing or retirement home, you should stop in and visit with them. Maybe volunteer or if you know how to play a musical instrument go in one day a week and have a sing song, or take a craft in and share it with them. Give them something to get excited about. OR simply offer an ear. I love hearing old war stories from Vets or even listening to the older ladies talk about "how things were". It's fun to compare and it really makes us appreciate the times we are in more...all the while feeling appreciated for simply acknowledging another human being!