Senior Care in Las Vegas NV
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, a Swedish psychiatrist made famous by her research with terminally ill patients, suggested that there are five emotional stages many people progress through: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. These stages are now considered part of the aging process as well. Some aging parents will exhibit all five stages, while others will progress through only a few and in no particular order. This article addresses the third stage–bargaining.
Bargaining
You’ve noticed your elderly parent is attempting an aerobics tape designed for the twenty-something crowd. Their counter top is overflowing with packets, bottles and vials of different vitamins, minerals and herbal remedies. The book on their nightstand reads How To Avoid Aging. There’s a good chance your parent may have reached the bargaining stage of aging.
The bargaining stage can be subtle and hard to define. What looks like your parent’s attempt to live a healthy lifestyle may be their offering to the deity of aging. “If I do all this, I’ll never age—right?” Wrong. While eating right and exercising is certainly a great way to stay healthy, aging is inevitable.
Mind Over Matter
One’s frame of mind can mean the difference between a life well lived and a life half lived. Just like Thomas the Tank Engine that could, I think I can and, even better, I know I can are certainly far better attitudes than “poor me”. To this end, bargaining has its benefits. It’s at this stage that you may see the increase in exercise and diet modification actually making a difference in your parent’s lives. “We are what we eat,” as the saying goes, and getting the heart pumping will decrease stress and increase those mood-altering endorphins. Just be sure to check with their health care provider regarding their new health regime. You will also want to speak to your local pharmacist or doctor regarding any supplements your parent may be taking to make sure they do not interfere or produce side effects when combined with your parent’s current medications.
Age Marches On
Everyone knows of someone that has made it to their 80s in better shape than most people in their 50s. However, for those who have not committed to a life of stringent dietary controls and a daily exercise regime that rivals Olympic athletes, time marches on. Your parent may one day realize that no matter what bargains they have laid on the table, age is advancing and the twenty-something exercise tape is making them more sore than strong. If an injury or illness puts them in bed for an extended length of time, they may bow out of the bargaining game all together and enter the next round—depression. The good news is: depression is just one step away from acceptance.
Knowing what stage your parent is in can help you prepare for what might lie ahead. It’s also helpful to determine a game plan to help them get there. A senior care provider, who knows these stages like the back of their hand, can help you navigate the tides and eddies of aging. Whether helping with the daily activities of life so you can spend quality time with your aging parent, or being there for them as confidant and companion, a senior care provider can help your parent reach that final and beautiful stage of aging: acceptance.
IF YOU OR AN AGING LOVED ONE ARE CONSIDERING IN-HOME SENIOR CARE IN LAS VEGAS, NV, PLEASE CONTACT THE CARING STAFF AT GOLDEN HEART SENIOR CARE. CALL TODAY 702-800-4616.