MY SUN DAY NEWS
May 6, 2021
I have always been passionate about gardening. I love the smell of dirt and the first sprouts of the season. As I’m getting older, though, I’m finding my passion to be more of a burden.
My mom is in her early 70s and has been living with Parkinsonās for about four years. Her symptoms have progressed from the mild stage to the more moderate stage. Iāve noticed her shuffling more, and her movements have definitely slowed.
My wife and I are in our late 80s and have received both doses of our COVID vaccine. Our adult children, in their 50s and 60s, have also received their vaccine. We also have grandchildren that live in the area. However, they are not yet eligible to receive the COVID vaccine.
My friendās dad recently passed away, unexpectedly. He was 69 years old and in rather decent health, so it came as a shock to everyone he knew. My friend is coping well considering the circumstances. However, she and her family felt completely unprepared to plan his funeral. They had a great relationship, but never discussed his funeral preferences. That got me thinking about my own parents.
My husband and I are approaching older age. I experience āsenior momentsā from time to time. I havenāt been diagnosed with dementia, but I am aware that thereās dementia in my family history. Although weāre rather active, we do realize that weāre slowing down.
Iām a concerned daughter-in-law writing on behalf of her 87-year-old mother-in-law. Her vision is declining due to glaucoma. While she is taking it in stride, Iāve noticed that she seems disheartened recently. She has always been a rather dignified person. She would never dare leave the house before āputting herself togetherā and feels that loungewear should only be worn in the privacy of oneās home.
As a part of my annual physical exam, my doctor ordered an EKG. My results indicated a 50 percent blockage in one of the arteries in my heart. I assumed that would mean surgery; however, my doctor recommended we start with medication. Although I am fortunate that I havenāt had a heart attack, this past physical gave me pause.
My wife and I are in our late 70s and live alone. Although I would be lying if I said that we havenāt felt our age encroach upon our lifestyle in recent years, we are rather independent. We live in a two-story home that only has a half bath on the main level. While we can navigate the stairs, we try to avoid going up and down multiple times in the day.
Iām writing because I am very concerned about my mother-in-law. She lives alone in an apartment and frequently forgets to drink water. She recently celebrated her ninetieth birthday and is somewhat frail.
I am at a loss for what to get my grandmother this year for the holidays. I typically give her something for her home, such as tea towels or candles. However, she moved to an assisted living community last January and no longer can use my go-to gifts. Iām not fortunate to live nearby.
I am the primary caregiver to my aging parents, and to be frank, I am exhausted.
I have a routine doctor appointment scheduled for this month and am considering canceling the appointment. Iām an 84-year-old male and have diabetes. I typically see my doctor every four months, but my last appointment was pushed back due to COVID. I know Iām due for blood work but am worried about being exposed to COVID while in the doctorās office. Do you have any advice?
My husband and I are in our 70s. Weāve made some wonderful memories with our grandkids this summer with social distancing visits outdoors. Now that the weather is turning cooler, weāre concerned that our visits wonāt be as frequent.
fter having to postpone their summer wedding, my grandson and fiancĆ© have decided to have an intimate wedding this fall. While they are keeping the wedding party and guest list small, I still have reservations about attending. Iām in my late 70s and am relatively healthy, aside from suffering from seasonal allergies.
My wife and I are in our late 50s and retirement is on our minds. We do plan to continue to work for a few more years, but weāre nearing the next season of our lives. We have three children, one in high school, two in college. We feel that they are adequately set for their futures, now we want to focus on us.
Within the last few years, Iāve noticed that my fingers arenāt working as they used to. Iām in my 80s and have always enjoyed crafting. Since I can remember, Iāve held knitting needles in my hands, creating scarves, blankets, sweaters, and more, for friends and family. Iāve since put my knitting aside, however, I recently learned that Iāll have a great-grandchild early next year.
My elderly mother has had a recent fall. She fell in the middle of the night, trying to find her way to the bathroom. While sheās doing fine now, itās evident that we need to make some changes to her bathroom to prevent future falls.
As we continue to watch southern states see a rise in COVID cases, Iām concerned about what our area will look like this fall.
My mother is scheduled to have her hip replaced in a few weeks, after suffering from chronic pain for many years. Her surgery has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and she can hardly wait to be relieved of her chronic pain. Sheās in her mid-70s, and her care team seems hopeful for a quick recovery.
Iām a senior who lives alone and am wrestling with disappointment as the COVID-19 crisis continues. Iām having difficulty sleeping at night, Iām lonely, and Iām over virtual visits. I just want to hug my children and grandchildren, but donāt know when it will be safe to do so. My family lives out of town, so a social distancing visit isnāt possible right now.
It has been about five weeks now since weāve spent time with my aging parents due to COVID-19. This is the longest that weāve spent apart, given that we live near each other and are used to visiting at least once a week.
I am a very concerned daughter who is worried about her mother. My mom, 68 years, has been on self-quarantine since COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic. I unfortunately live states away. My sister lives nearby, but because she continues to work in the hospital setting, she has chosen not to visit our mother during this crisis. My mom is used to spending a lot of time with my sister and her family throughout the week. She feels cut off and isolated.
Iām a senior who was recently targeted by a scammer. I answered a phone call and was greeted by a young gentlemanās voice. He proceeded to tell me that a warrant was out for my arrest because I neglected to show up for jury duty that day. He sounded legitimate and alarmed me for a moment. I panicked while he began to tell me the consequences for not appearing for my jury summons and asked me to confirm my social security number so he could begin processing my arrest.
Iām an elderly senior who lives alone. I have two daughters who live nearby and pop in as often as they can. However, I recognize that they have their own lives and I donāt want to be a burden to them. I have a few prescriptions that I take, as well as a few vitamins and supplements that my friends have recommended. Iām struggling with managing my medications.
As Valentineās Day approaches, I find myself more and more down and gloomy. I knew this holiday would be difficult since losing my spouse, but I hadnāt realized just how challenging it will be for me to get through this day. Do you have any suggestions for how I can face this day without the love of my life?
My dad, age 83, is currently in the hospital due to pneumonia. His doctor wants to keep him for a few more days to monitor his oxygen levels. In the meantime, Iām a daughter feeling helpless. My mom, 79, insists they donāt need any special treatment, even though I can see her age starting to slow her down. Do you have any suggestions for how I can help, without it coming across as help, so that my dad can recover fully from pneumonia and my mom not wind up in the hospital from overexerting herself?
I am a senior living alone. My adult children and I are close relationally, however, two of them live far away. My one daughter that lives nearby is an accountant and is very busy this time of year. My closest friend spends the winter months with her daughter in Florida. December always keeps me busy as I prepare for the holidays and have opportunities to spend quality time with my children and grandchildren. January leaves me feeling empty and isolated, even though I just had a wonderful holiday season. Do you have any suggestions for those struggling with the post-holiday blues?
My family and I recently relocated to my husbandās hometown and are grateful to live within minutes of his grandparents. While itās nice to be able to pop in with our little boys and visit them at the drop of a hat, seeing them slowly decline in health is bittersweet. Recently, weāve noticed that they seem to have less and less energy and arenāt up for large crowds or long visits.
My elderly parents are relatively healthy. They live on their own and can navigate their lives with little help. While Iām grateful that my parents are doing so well at their age, I still get concerned about their health. My daughter is expecting her first baby later this month. My daughter has expressed concern over my parents, her grandparents, meeting their first great-grandchild because sheās a first-time mom and worried about protecting the health of her newborn.