Respecting Your Parents' Dignity May Require Accepting Risk

It’s difficult to watch our parents age. As their hair grays, wrinkles form and age spots multiply, we adult children can find ourselves feeling protective. We want to keep them healthy. We want to know that they are safely at home when there’s the slightest risk of bad weather. We don’t want them taking risks that could result in an injury. That’s love, after all, and parents appreciate being loved. It’s a mistake, however, to make yourself director of your parents’ lives simply because they are piling on years. Think about it. Barring dementia – and as much as we hear about dementia, not everyone over 65 has become unable to make decisions – our elders should be able to exercise their rights as adults.  Read the full article on HealthCentral about when to help and when to know to hold back: Support a caregiver or jump-start discussion in support groups with real stories - for bulk orders of Minding Our Elders e-mail Carol   Related articles 6 Potentially Reversible Conditions That Can Mimic Dementia (Minding Our Elders®) Mismanaged Prescription Drugs May Create Dementia-Like Symptoms (Minding Our Elders®)                Related StoriesAging Bodies Often House Strong Minds: Give Them a Chance85-Year-Old Author Illustrates How Relishing Accumulated Decades Enhances BeautyHow Ballroom Dancing Changed the Trajectory of This Woman’s Alzheimer&...
Source: Minding Our Elders - Category: Geriatrics Authors: Source Type: blogs