At Angels on Call Homecare, we spend our days delivering high-quality in-home care. For our companions, home health nurses, and other in-home professionals, a great deal of our time is spent caring for New York’s thriving elderly population. We provide companion care, respite care, and transitional care, so our patients are in every stage of life and varying degrees of wellness. If there’s one thing that sticks with each of us is the stories we hear from the people we care for. In today’s post, we are going to take a different approach to our normal post topics and share some insight that we’ve learned from our elderly clients.
Each one of us often states we could write a series of books about the incredible stories and life experiences we hear while caring for the elderly. Our seniors are a fountain of knowledge, wisdom, and life experiences lived. While some of the following pieces of life advice were offered as just that, others are interpretations we have taken from the general theme of the stories we are told. There is something soul-cleansing about listening to stories of yesteryear that renews our sense of purpose and allows us to be excited about the future (and aging!). The following is a collection of helpful tips and insightful advice for living well and living long.
There are two things in life you can never recover — words spoken and time spent.
If there is one common life regret that people share, it’s that they didn’t spend enough time doing the things that brought them joy and they said too many things they regretted (or didn’t say the things they wanted to). While not many seniors would suggest we all quit our jobs and spend all of our time pursuing our hobbies, many would agree that setting boundaries on the work-life balance and investing more time in our families is worth it. In the end, kids won’t remember the things you could afford to buy them, but they sure remember the time you weren’t around because you were busy working. And, the thing is, you can’t turn back the clock and get their childhood back.
The key to staying young is to keep moving.
This statement is made over and over again by seniors. Whether it is tending the garden, walking your dog, or becoming a silver Ironman, getting up and getting out keeps you young. One client recommended, “always take the stairs and carry your own stuff” as a means to keep moving.
Leave a legacy and you’ll live forever.
A legacy is something you leave behind, something you will be remembered for long after you are gone. When people tell the story of your life, make sure that it is something you and your loved ones can be proud of, a story that others will want to tell.
Forgive.
Holding on to hurt and grudges are like carrying a bag of dead weight. Forgiveness grants peace to yourself and the one you have forgiven and can allow you to move on in peace. You do not need to make amends or befriend those who have wronged you, nor do you need to forget, but releasing yourself from the strangles of anger and hurt only keep you from living fully.
The day you stop learning is the day you begin dying.
We don’t think this was meant to say that we should be college students for life (although, it makes sense that most colleges offer free tuition for 55+), but more than you should never stop discovering. There will always be books to read and hobbies to try and when you are older and have more time, use it!
Take time each day to do something for yourself.
Selfcare is the best health care. Taking time for yourself offers the mental clarity and the appreciation for life that little else can. Doing something for yourself each day prevents resentment and nourishes your empathy. Take care of yourself.
Find your passion and live it.
Whatever it is, find your passion and give it your all. Following your passion allows you to live 100% and gives you a reason to live. Passion is what fuels us and drives us. Never give up on it. Whether your passion is your family, a hobby, your job, or your God, live your passions to fully live your life.
Love is easy, when you find the right one.
Said of a man who was reminiscing on his wife of 67 years. We’ve heard all the love advice, but this seems to stick the best. Relationships and marriage can be difficult and every relationship has its growing pains, but, love should not be hard and it should not hurt. Love is easy, if you’ve found the right one. Never settle for the wrong one and remember, you are never too old to fall in love with someone new.
Just remember, no one makes it out alive.
This statement has been made for decades as a reminder not to take life too seriously, but it rings true for everything in life. Don’t hold back on the things you want to do or the love you’d like to share out of fear. We all come into the world and we all leave it, so live your life and live it well. Make a bucket list and check items off, don’t wait until you are dying to get them done.
At Angels on Call Homecare, we are fortunate to be able to listen to the stories and share some of the wisdom with others. We are thankful for our clients and the wisdom they impart on us each day — a perk of the job, if you will. To learn more about the care we provide or to find a caregiver for your senior in New York, visit us online or contact us for your in-home evaluation.
