We learn humility in a thousand different ways: we, who
have been the foundation on which others have built their lives, now find
ourselves in need of assistance. Can we bring ourselves to ask without ceding
our agency over ourselves?
We learn that the medical community, which served us well
in our youth, struggles to first do no harm to the aged. A trip to the hospital
kicks off a downward spiral as readily as a road to recovery. Geriatric care,
little known and poorly appreciated, has its own set of rights and rituals. We
find ourselves on foreign ground, where the landscape of providers, services,
and rules seems murky.
I have learned three things in accompanying my mom on her
journey: value your health—become close acquaintances with the barbell and the
kettlebell; get your affairs, both big and small, in order; and, get to know
your local, credentialed geriatric care manager sooner rather than later. The
guidance that these professionals provide along the way makes all the
difference.
Bette Davis said, "Old age ain't no place for
sissies.” She was right.
Doug C.