What feels abundant right now is trauma, stress, and burnout.  Heading up an Aging Services organization during this time has been no easy task.  At AGE-u-cate, we have tried to offer nuggets of support and encouragement to help infuse some hope in what feels like a long nightmare. 

With so much out of our control these days, there is something we can control, and that is how we relate to each other.  Kindness should always be a part of a leadership philosophy, but when we feel pushed to the edge, kindness might take a backseat.

Kindness can be defined as the quality of being friendly, generous and considerate.  Seems like a fairly simple and straightforward way to interact with others.  In fact, ABC news reported last year on research that informs us that being kind pays off.  Being kind makes us feel better and healthier, and is wired into our survival.  Oxford anthropologist Oliver Curry believes that we are kind because under the right circumstances we all benefit from kindness.

 

The delta COVID-19 variant seems to be ushering in an understandable second round of pandemic-induced anxiety.  Aging Services providers, and those that serve them, are still traumatized from the first go-around.  Enough time has not passed to allow for a psychological re-set to cope with a do-over.  So, what are we to do?

It's frightening to care for someone you don't understand.  People living with dementia (PLWD) are themselves often filled with fear and anxiety and express themselves in ways that are difficult for others to comprehend.   For a family member or professional who is helping  persons who are themselves trying to cope with the cognitive changes going on in their brains, it is a domino effect that carries over to care partners. Fear, anxiety, guilt, and feeling very frustrated in not having the tools to better communicate and respond to  stress reactions leave caregivers feeling helpless. 

September is National Suicide Prevention Month. This year, World Suicide Prevention Day will be observed on September 10.  The following information will help readers understand risk factors and warning signs of suicide in older adults.  

Having a sense of purpose and a community network in which to provide these avenues seems to be important for brain health, an important component of aging well. But aging well starts with more basic work.  Some of these include:

As a  geriatric nurse, I rather frequently see the effects of age and disease on the body. Of course, different diseases manifest in different ways, and while some of those signs and symptoms may mirror those of old age, others may not. As a result, it is important that I, and other geriatric nurses like me, recognize how Parkinson’s disease might affect a patient under our care so that we can better care for them and meet their needs.