Sometimes I help someone get dressed or read the paper or write a letter. The rewards far outweigh these small tasks. Still, it is sometimes hard to look beyond a person's physical or mental infirmities to see the human being inside. If I find it hard to keep my perspective, I know it can be even more difficult for the people closest to my clients, the loved ones who provide assistance and care day in and day out. For the caregivers, and for myself, I've made a list of five of the most important lessons I've learned from my elders.
Old people are people.
If we can remember that our elders are people more like us than not, we can begin to address them with fellow feeling rather than sympathy. We can look them in the eye, ask questions, share insight, laugh together. And, perhaps best of all, we can stop fearing our own old age and embrace each new stage of our lives with joy and pride. People have bodies. Old people are people, so old people have bodies, too.