Why do the elderly have the bad rap of being grumpy and complaining? Why are they characterized as complaining old people? I mean, we all need to be polite and civil. They must have been polite when they were younger or they never would have survived! What happened to make them so unpleasant to be around?
But Why the Complaining Old People?
What people may not understand is that the senior is in pain and discomfort for much of their day. Their chronic illnesses don’t just come as a label and with some pills. They come with real life aches and pains as systems in their bodies age and begin to deteriorate. Try and imagine what it is like when you have a headache all day or a stomachache. You know the pain can be distracting. Now relate that to having arthritis or a chronic heart condition. Now you can imagine how pre-occupied they are with just functioning. They lose patience with you because they may have lost patience with themselves and what they must endure.
The Losses of Old Age
Above all, it is critical to remember that old age is a time of a series of losses and the senior citizen must adjust to each one. These include loss of:
- health;
- loved ones;
- status through retirement;
- sexuality, and,
- in most cases, tighter budget constraints.
Most important of all, they are experiencing
- a substantial loss of independence.
Next time you want to label this group as stubborn old geezers or complaining old people consider this: The elderly may take on a stubborn stance in an effort not to appear weak. They are terrified of appearing weak and losing total control over their lives.
Senior Social Issues
On medicinenet.com, Siamak T. Nabili, MD, MPH and Charles P. Davis, MD, PhD detail various social issues that affect the life and health of seniors. They cite:
- loneliness from losing a spouse and friends;
- inability to independently manage regular activities of living;
- difficulty coping and accepting physical changes of aging;
- frustration with ongoing medical problems and increasing number of medications;
- social isolation as adult children are engaged in their own lives;
- feeling inadequate from inability to continue to work;
- boredom from retirement and lack of routine activities, and
- financial stresses from the loss of regular income.
All in all, the elderly have the onerous task of adjusting to dramatic lifestyle changes under compromising circumstances. Moreover, given all that these seniors have to deal with, it would seem that these older people have a perfect right to be short tempered. With some understanding on the part of the rest of us, we have the ability to change the whole paradigm.
Who says the elderly are “set in their ways”? They actually bear their lot with a great deal of grace and skill.
What About Home Health Aides?
Seniors are often resistant to having help around. You may now have already realized that the aide represents an increasing and further loss of independence. To that end, aides must be properly trained to understand these underlying issues and do her best to be kind, considerate and attend to all of the patient’s needs.
When orienting newly hired home health aides, one should always stress the problems and uniqueness of the situation that they will be encountering. By all means, what they should NOT expect to find is a smiling, polite, sweet and considerate patient behind that apartment door. To be sure, what they WILL find is a grumpy senior citizen – complaining old people.
Caregivers Must be Considerate
Caregivers, whether they are paid employees or family members, need to keep this feeling of lacking in mind when caring for the older patient. Understandably, this is often challenging for caregivers to understand because of the generation gap. It must be stressed over and over that old age is a time of a series of losses and the senior citizen must adjust to each one. When caring for them reverse the paradigm. View the elderly as aging with the utmost grace as they tackle all these challenges.
Practical Suggestions for Elderly Care
An article by the Mayo Clinic staff, “Caring for the elderly: Dealing with resistance”, uses this base of knowledge and makes practical suggestions for setting up their care. For example, the elderly are apt to “feel frightened and vulnerable”. Therefore, it is important to approach the elderly when they are relaxed. Also, it is important to assure them that you respect their decision-making capacity. Ask them questions about their preferences or include their relatives along the way. With a bit of sensitivity, the elderly will happily receive the care that they deserve and which we are eager to bestow.
At David York Agency, we are sensitive to the stresses of the elderly and are quite mindful of the losses they suffer.
Furthermore, we train our home health aides to be sensitive as well. Our staff is highly experienced in caring for the physical as well as the emotional needs of our clients.
David York Agency Homecare Can Help Seniors in Briarwood
At David York Agency, we understand the many challenges and risks faced by the aging and elderly and are dedicated to providing care to support them through all of those ups and down. At David York Home Healthcare Agency, extraordinary service is what sets us apart from other companies in Briarwood that provide in home healthcare services.
DYA we could provide direction as to how to manage the total care of your senior loved one. Whatever your care needs, we are there for you, always striving to exceed your expectations. For more information about David York Agency’s qualified, compassionate caregivers, contact us at (718) 376-7755. A free phone consultation can help you determine what services would meet your needs. We aim to provide you and your loved one with the assistance they need. If you’d like to hear more from us, please like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter or LinkedIn.
For more helpful tips and information, check out our blog or contact us today.
