Who Are You Calling Grouchy?

A much beloved local newsman from our area has made public the knowledge that he is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. This man’s wife needs to remind him of a name from time to time. They know that the disease will progress and are making painful choices. But has he crawled into a hole? No way. He is out in the community talking about his illness. He is still making people laugh. Yes, the one-liners that cracked people up aren’t coming quite as quickly, but the humor is still there. Will he decline? Yes. We pray, not too fast. But he does not fit into the stereotype that people have of old people, and, at least as of now, doesn’t fit the stereotype for AD.

“The study shows that more education is needed about aging, Rust said."It's important that people learn more about what it is to be an older adult and also to know what Alzheimer's and dementia are about. It is important to recognize that older adults are a very heterogenous group, ranging from very vital and capable to those in the last stages of dementia. They fall all along the continuum."

Tiana Rust is correct. Stereotyping can be damaging. Negative expectations can produce negative results. Treat someone as an elderly grouch and that is what you will get. Treat someone as an elder – an interesting person with a lifetime of experience behind him or her – and you may find a fascinating individual who has lived through things you’ve only read about. Treat an elder as someone worthy of respect, and you’re much more likely to get a smile than a frown.

To learn more about Carol, please go to www.mindingourelders.com or www.mindingoureldersblogs.com.