be sensitive to the needs of the elderly

I do. I work in a hospital so I deal with people of all ages and I've learned about things from dimentia to alzheimers to everything else health related. I know that if an older person sneezes hard enough they may have leaked urine from it because they aren't strong enough. Most of them are with it still, we just have to not disregard what they are saying and assume they are just being senile and old.

Elders' needs are much more than just going to the loo on time. Loneliness engulfs them but the youngsters find it boring to spend time with them. Old age homes that we see today are devoid of youth and in fact I did write a project on how an ideal old age home should be. I have yet to find one that has all the trimmings of an ideal old age home. Hoping I will find one such old age home when my need arises.

I am and especially because my thoughts are always that one day I too will be elderly and I believe in Khama and certainly would not want to be treated bad as I get older. As an later teen I worked with many Elders and can tell you it was then I truly appreciated life after witnessing some of they come in strong and pass away so quickly.

I have always been around elderly people from being very small. I started working in a nursing home at age 15. It taught me respect and dignity to all ages. Even when I was a medical specialist working in a Army hospital young men needed special treatment. So when someone says they need to use the restroom, I have always been accomodating. Its embarressing for the older folks as we age we do sometimes not always become incontinent. But even middle age and younger folks can too. My problem is when you have an elderly family member who can travel 15 hours in a car and drink water, ice tea and sodas. As you come to a rest stop you and your husband need to go and she sits the whole road trip saying she is FINE never getting out of the car. Later I figured out she was using the Depends and just using them for her incontinence and not having to get out to walk. My husband and I have done everything to make sure she has as much to keep her healthy getting her a walker with a seat in it if she was to tire, etc. She has let herself go and I got down with my health and she is now in a nursing home. Now she is having urinary tract infections, and won't even try to use her strength to get out of bed. I really hate to see an elderly person give up when she had better health than others that were stuck in their beds and could not get up. I hope her better health but things are not looking good. All we can do is be kind and hope our kindness works with the elderly. But sometimes some of them can be quite opinionated (my father who has passed) He would never tell you anything about his health. Unfortunately thats another discussion. Being kind is patience, and to me patience is blessed.

That is so sad! I guess you will listen to your grandmother now! I have always been good to my elderly relatives because I think they deserve respect. They have always been there for us and so we should respect them and be kind and patient with them, even as hard as it can be at times! I just want them to be happy in their last years and have good memories and pass away with happy memories of their life, so that makes me keep my patience....even when they keep repeating how sick and tired they are!! I also think about myself when I am older and think what if that was me? and you should treat others how you wanted to be treated. I do like listening to elderly people tell stories about their life because they have lived their a lot of events and when they are gone, no one will be around to be able to tell these stories, so we have to listen to them. They also have good advice because they have lived through a lot and have a lot more experience than we do :)

Grandparents want to make their grandkids happy. I think they do things for us, not out of habit, but let us know that they willing to go the extra step. I was taught that the elderly rule. I kind of had to pay attention to thier needs, if not I was punished by my parents, its sad. But it taught me humanity. If I sat on the couch and my grandpa came in, I gave up my seat, out of respect.

hi sashakiddo I was youngonce too and I know at times I was not aS sensitive to my dad for example when his arthritis was acting up and he wAs in pain.Now that I have reached the age of arthritis too I sure do realize how he felt. your poor grandmother really did have to'go and of course you just did not realize it then. I have since I was fifty paid attention to people older than myself. Now i just hope when I say that I have to go my 51 year old son will believe I really do have to go.

hi, of course yes, when my grandmother was alive,i always do first what she wants to,like going to comfort room,i always pay attention to her,sometimes we need to listen to them because they are already old.

Hi,sashakiddo,nice to meet you here. I find you are a kind person since you can always put yourself in another people's shoes, especially those elder people. As for me, I would care most my gradparents' need. When I visit them, I will buy things they like or need most for them. And talk with them, make them happy.

I think it is very important to care for those older than us. When I was younger, I didn't want to slow down and think of others. Now I realize that older people have raised families and fought wars and been through difficult things and we should respect them. Our society teaches us to think of ourselves first, but this thinking is counterproductive to our culture.

There are times that we do not see the needs of others because we are too busy attending to matters concerning ourselves. Sometimes I am negligent to the needs of my mother and is impatient. But at the end of the day, my conscience is bothering me. I apologize to her for my actions that hurt her. We wouldnt be where we are today if not for them. I am truly grateful.