I was watching a tv program and there was a scene in a nursing home. One of the elderly men was talking about being there. He said the hardest part was being invisible. When we are younger we have an identity. We are handsome or beautiful, pretty or a nurse, doctor or workman. We have something to connect to. As we age we are just called old. Not connected to anyone or anything. Nothing special.
It is so sad but having visited nursing homes he is so right. The elderly are invisible. But they have had lives. They have stories to tell. We need to acknowledge them.
I did service work in a nursing home at one time, and I watched an elderly man in a wheelchair stare out of a window the entire day. He would only turn around when meals were served, and then he would turn back to the window. No words, not much action — invisible. It’s sad to see someone who lived their whole life and wind up out of sight and out of mind.
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I agree. It breaks my heart. I wonder if someone listening to his life story would have helped.
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Maybe? It’s was sad to see him so silent. You never know what others have been through. That’s why kindness is good to extend to all.
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This is one sad reality. And the worst thing is that when we are experiencing our youth, we neglect the elderly. Which is not a very good thing to do since we are all headed that direction.
Such an eye opener. Great post. I enjoyed it very much😊
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Our response needs to be finding ways to listen to their stories and remind them of the life they have lived.
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