Experiencing firsthand how difficult an aging alcoholic, quadriplegic, post stroke, narcissistic, demented or simply ‘nothing’s wrong with me, I can drive, I don’t need those meds, I don’t need to go to a nursing facility’ kinda parent surely gives you some insight on what to do, what not to do and how to prepare for our own aging and eventual demise.
How do you plan to age gracefully and what advice do you have for us all?
I’ve been dealing with my 85 year old uncle who recent fell and broke his hip again. I’ve learned the following:
Physical exercise is important! My uncle could barely walk before, which is probably why he fell. While he was in the hospital he physically could not sit up on his own (no upper body strength) and now cant lift himself into/out of his wheelchair. I’ve decided to start working out more and focus on strength.
Listen to your doctors!! After he broke his hip the first time, he refused to do physical therapy and would not use his cane. It’s obvious that both of these things would have helped prevent him from falling the second time.
Be kind to the people around you! My uncle is narcissistic and insults friends/family when he gets comfortable with them. This meant that for most of his stay in the hospital, I was the only person who visited.