The Battle Against Age And Recognition of Serious Changes In a Person with Dementia
In a NY Times opinion piece Nicci Gerrard who has a forthcoming book “The Last Ocean: A Journey Through Memory and Forgetting” posits some of the issues associated with aging including physical features and memory challenges. She does so in the context of today’s controversial FaceApp that ages us in a moment. I have to admit, I have not done the aging app because of some controversial ideas behind it like who owns the images / data provided (foreign power, corporate entity that may not have my best interests at heart, etc.)?
That said, the emotions that Ms. Gerrard calls out are very real and she calls out some important things that I know many caregivers experience like this thought: “For many caregivers, the days are marked by gradual losses, until the loved one no longer remembers what happened yesterday or that morning; he can’t recall things they did together; their relationship is no longer one of reciprocity.” She discussed how she and her family try to maintain a semblance of a relationship with ritualized readings that he read to them as children.
Hopefully someday we will be able to treat or prevent the isolation and kidnapping of the former self by the new self that takes over with limited memory.
Wal-Mart May Still Be the Best Back to School Supply Store
The Penny Hoarder did back to school shopping at 5 stores known to be good sources and then compared the final tallies against each other. The end result, Wal-Mart still comes in first; less expensive than Target, Staples and others. Also, Dollar Tree had too many missing items to qualify. If you are a parent thinking about Back to School Shopping in August, this article is worth a read.
5 Career Paths for Introverts
Forbes had a contributor article which addressed some career paths for people who consider themselves to be more introverted. It’s a nice short piece that addresses the need to recharge batteries by being alone, etc. Even if you don’t choose a career in these jobs, they represent some interesting examples that might be applied further emotional needs. Perhaps farming, gardening, raising chickens, writing, etc. are all ways that people can get some time to themselves or at least away from other people even when they have to work in more social environments.
An Example Of Intergenerational Relationships in Australia
A Montessori school in Australia has introduced some intergenerational content in their school to help dispel some of the myths of aging. One of the quotes behind the mindset to create these programs says it best, “I really do think as our children get to forge really deep relationships with some of the older people, in their 30s or 40s they will have little memories of a person that talked to them about something they value.” Now they have co-located classrooms with elder communities which increase the randomness of interactions which will only allow for better and more meaningful connections between young and old alike. Want to keep the brain healthy? Introduce the randomness of children on a day to day basis and hopefully you can keep that brain young.
Retirement Planning Requires Self-Reflection and Soul Searching
This is an article from a publication in Ohio about some helpful tips about what you need to think about when contemplating retirement. There is a lot one must investigate when looking to stop something that we spent the majority of our lives dedicated to (working and purpose). When you stop working, you will have social withdrawal, income withdrawal, and then something potentially more dangerous, a disconnect with personal purpose and value. When we retire, we must address these things not just economically or in theory, but in practice. How will you fill the vacuum of time and energy that you will have? Some of these topics are covered in here (I.e., will you be checking emails each day, etc.) which hint at the greater challenge in retirement - purpose.
http://presspublications.com/content/retirement-planning-requires-self-reflection-and-soul-searching
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