Old and New

Old folks and babies, also toddlers, have a lot in common.  Over the last few years, I have spent a lot of time in nursing homes and assisted living facilities with work and my granddad.

One night I was visiting my granddad and I just watched.  I watched as nurses and workers were patient with the elderly. I also watched them get a little frustrated with the patients as you would a child that would not listen.  I watched them treat them as if they were babies.  The way they talked with them and helped them do small, simple tasks.  One worker hugged a patient as the patient sat there and cried.  The worker told her everything was going to be alright.  She consoled her as a parent would their child after a bad dream.     All the patients/residents were gathered together just sitting around. Some were talking.  One was talking to themselves.  Laughing at themselves and crying as they talked to "Larry."  Larry must have been her son because every time she saw my little boy, she cried and mentioned the name Larry.  It broke my heart.

I watched the patients/residents walk around or attempt to walk around just as a toddler would when they were first learning how to walk.  I watched a worker open candy for one elderly man. Then I witnessed the sweetest moment as I watched an elderly man share his candy with an elderly woman.  He told her that he would open it for he as she sat in her wheelchair waiting patiently.  Just as a toddler would share with a friend and act as if they were "big" and open the candy for their friend as well.

It was as if I was in a nursery or daycare as I watched everyone around me. It saddened me.  Babies wear diapers and we feed them when they are young.  Toddlers learn when they are young but grow out of that stage. The elderly may learn but they don't grow out of that stage.  Usually it worsens.  They forget. They use walkers to walk but usually transition to a wheelchair. Everything they learned when they were young is being taught to them once again.

Let's be patient with the elderly as they were with us when we were small and learning.  Watch closely next time you are around them.  Be gentle.  Be kind. Show them love just as you would a child.  Old and new... when you compare, it's as if they are the same.