I've partnered with Ready to Care for this post.
My grandmother was one of the first women graduates of the College of Pharmacy at West Virginia University. This was groundbreaking at the time. She lived in an era where women were expected to stay in the home, raising children and supporting their husbands, not managing medications and the community's health. Nevertheless, she did raise a family and had six children. Eventually, she realized that being a nurse would be more flexible and she went on to get her nursing license.
Her decision to become a nurse was more influential than she could have ever imagined. All three of her daughters, including my mother, went on to become nurses. When it was my turn to go to college and select a career, I decided I'd follow in my family's footsteps and chose nursing. I went on to obtain a master's degree to become a nurse practitioner. Now, my niece is following in my footsteps and is currently enrolled in the nursing program at my alma mater. One decision, made by a woman almost 60 years ago shaped who we've all become.
Besides paving the way for other working women, my grandmother was also witty, sarcastic, intelligent, and just so much fun to be around. We traveled to her cabin in Maine at least 2-3 times per year so we could spend time with her. She loved living in Maine and enjoyed the small-town feel and being off the beaten path. She and I would exchange letters throughout the years and we'd send each other photos and little odds and ends. I always loved receiving her letters and still have them all.
As my grandmother got older, she decided the harsh winters of Maine were too extreme and she decided to move to Florida, leaving her nursing career behind her. She now had plenty of time to spend with her children and many grandchildren. We had some amazing years with her before she became ill. As Parkinson's Disease often is her symptoms were insidious. Little moments of forgetfulness, odd movements here and there. Then, she got in a car accident and sustained some pretty traumatic injuries, including broken bones. Our family had to make some tough decisions regarding her care. After she finally healed and got out of the rehabilitation facility my mother and her sisters knew that she was going to need additional care. They wouldn't be able to do it all themselves and her quality of life was too important to make the wrong call.
We wanted my grandmother to be treated with the utmost respect. We wanted caretakers that would treat her with caring hands as if they were family. As a nurse practitioner, I've seen so many elderly patients that don't have any family members closeby. I always imagined that must be overwhelming and scary, especially when an issue arises.
Seniors are at a great risk for all sorts of issues like limited mobility, isolation, and chronic illnesses and there is an aging crisis upon us. For the first time in history, people aged 65 and over will outnumber children under age 5. Our senior population is growing, both globally and rapidly. We wanted to get involved to help seniors age successfully and that's why my family joined Ready to Care.
Ready to Care is a call-to-action and initiative brought to you by Home Instead Senior Care®. Its goal is to enhance the lives of aging adults and their families through social change. We're talking simple acts of kindness and Care Mission prompts that are delivered right to you via text message each week. These are free little reminders that small actions can make big changes in the lives of seniors in your community.
We've already gone through quite a few prompts and done some random acts of kindness for seniors, I hope you'll join me in signing up for Ready to Care and pledging to do even just one Care Mission to improve the quality of life for the seniors you know and love.
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