I saw an article yesterday in the Health section of the New York Times describing the difficulty of younger people to imagine what life might be like in later years, particularly in nursing homes. I thought readers would appreciate it.
The old woman had drawn down the shade in her room — hoping, I imagined, to stop the midday Miami sun from penetrating her grief. But the sun still hit the window full force and illuminated the shade like a Chinese lantern.
She sat silently in a wheelchair, her 93-year-old silhouette stooped in the bathing light. I entered, held her hand for a moment and introduced myself. “Sit down, doctor,” she said politely.
Click HERE to read the entire article.
Dr. El,
What a great article!
I particularly enjoyed, "She was glad to have finally won a measure of freedom and was determined to make the best of it. As her life unfolded at the nursing home over the next year, she threw herself into new activities and relationships in a way that was quite unexpected."
As you have mentioned a number of times in your blog, the biggest benefits to being in a nursing home are the social and recreational opportunities available to residents.
Sue, I think many people are pleasantly surprised to discover when they enter a nursing home that it's a vital world unto itself, with lots of things to do and people to meet, if they choose to take advantage of these opportunities.