Why And How To Empower The Elderly
The most empowering relationships are those in which each partner lifts the other to a higher possession of their own being.” – Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
As many people age, they develop feelings and thoughts of being useless, abandoned and rejected. Sometimes there is no reason for these feelings, but oftentimes the people around them inadvertently say or do things that cause these thoughts.
Because we love and care for the elderly people in our lives, we don’t want to be the cause of those negative feelings. We want to help them feel loved, important, and necessary, which will help their self-esteem, dignity, and improve their quality of life. They will then begin to find more joy in life, join in with their community and make new friends.
How you can empower the elderly in your life:
- Rethink getting older – Older people don’t always feel valued or appreciated, because too often their experience, wisdom and abilities are not acknowledged and they are treated as though they don’t have a contribution to make in life. They feel useless. We can change that by:
- listening to and learning from their experiences
- include them in discussions and decision making, especially when the decisions are about them
- accept their help to do things they are able to do such as reading to a child. preparing a meal, feeding a pet or watering a plant
- show that you appreciate the things they do.
- Change how you speak to them – Remember, they are adults, don’t speak to them as if they are children. You may be trying to be kind, but to them, it feels like you’re talking down to them. Be careful of how you describe their stage in life, many people don’t like to be called dependent or elderly.
- Make sure they feel connected – Loneliness can be one of the quickest routes to depression. Don’t let them feel alone, make sure they have a good community around them, whether it’s family, or they live in a community where there are opportunities to have friends and activities they can enjoy.
- Encourage goal setting – All through life we are encouraged to set goals for self improvement, and when we achieve these goals our self-esteem grows. Seniors can do the same thing….the goals need to be realistic and manageable for them, such as doing a few stretches daily, finishing a new project, or eating well-balanced. Even achieving the smallest of goals is very empowering.
- Build feelings of usefulness – One of the hardest parts of aging is feeling unnecessary and useless, like you don’t matter and aren’t needed any longer. You can change that mindset by asking for their advice, their opinion and their help whenever possible.
We are Certified Senior Move Managers recognized by our National Association of Senior Move Managers, NASMM! We are committed to serving our seniors with a high standard of ethics, best business practices and continuing education to help make whatever transition they are going through a Smooth Transition.
Contact us to learn how we can help you and/or your family with senior downsizing and moving anywhere in the Phoenix East Valley area…we offer a Free consultation.