In my last post, basicly I wanted to say that the elderly, like all generations, should not be stereotyped. We have special problems, including transportation when we can't drive and there are no public facilities. We have mandatory health insurance, with so many variables that it's hard to make decisions. What we don't need is social isolation. In my view, it is debilitating to arrive in a senior facility and have no one to interact with except others who feel shut in. In my building with a unit of 118 apartments there's a good chance that the ambulance will arrive more than once a day. That's reality and we are likely to find out who they "took out." There hangs over us the possibility that some day we will lose our chance for independent living and end up in a nursing home. With outside friends there is less likelihood that a person will become morbidly obsessed. Otherwise, it's possible that social withdrawal will make a person sicker than he/she thinks it can. I consider the study of gerontology to be looking into the way generations can enjoy the company of their senior citizens.
We here at the Towers have a few women who meet once a month to write in a Reminiscing Workshop. Those who do that say they find out so much about themselves, and besides, their children wanted them to "write something down."
Does anyone know of any blogs where members write about lifelong experiences?