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Seniors Matter

Seniors Matter

Senior Matters 'cause Seniors Matter!

Q&A

What do you picture when you think of a senior person?

What age decade do you think someone becomes a senior?

When should a senior retire?

How do other cultures treat their seniors?

When you think of 70 year olds acting like 50, or a 50 year old living like they're 70... The line becomes quite blurred, with who's 'older'

Of cause everyone would agree that an 80 year old is definately a 'senior' citizen.

So where is the official line that defines Aussies as Seniors?

The answer is 60 years old.

I applied for my seniors card, to try claim all the discounts (I never remember to ask for... when I received the card I was delighted to read the official letter thanking me for being such a wonderful contributer to the Australian community 😇👍 but deep down... something inside me screaming... I'M NOT OLD!

The years of constantly struggling with CPTD anxiety & depression... the years have got away with me and now, im old 😞.... reality is... my body is ageing... the mirror says so, there's wrinkles, there's grey and white streaks, its harder to move, I'm forgetful, i get nervous, lack confidence, I dither and rummage in my handbag, people are starting to pop off around me more, hospital doctors all look 12 yrs old and my friend's kids have grandkids.... This is entirely unacceptable state of affairs and I need support.

I go to the doctor... but sadly even doctors bother less with our aches and pains and worries. She says:

"All part of ageing" -

"not much we can do"...

"not much point doing an x-ray when it's almost definately just arthritis..." 😞 In other words

SUCK IT UP!

Why don't they just have a 'morning after 60 pill' or a euthenasia back door.. How can i face this ageing thing and all the sadness by myself when the doctors even don't care.? Really triggers the SI, how can they not know this and be kinda?

There

was a distinct difference in the way I'm treated since turning 60.

Always echoing in my mind is the comment a GP said about one of his older seniors "past her useby date" Oh dear, it's like we're already dead, but

we just gotta go on like we're not and won't. 😟 😞 Can't stop the decline. Just have to

- roll with the punches

- go with the flow

- age gracefully ...

But sadly, even in Mental Health, there's this undercurrent that "it's too late" for us seniors. Set in our ways they say... the less likely we are to change... and that might be true because we've seen so much, morphed for others a million times, and yes, kinda somewhat disillusioned with constantly changing systems that focus on money more than humanity... Sometimes I wonder if some structures are created to puff out the workforce more than service provision.

But truth is, my biggest hurdle is my deep beliefs about ageing.

- I planned to 'check out' at 50 because everyone gets sick after 50...

- i should have it all together at my age (ha, not happening, getting worse)

- the Kidz will bring the grandkids over for Sunday lunch and I'll love cooking for them... (not happening)

- my hubby will grow old with me, and talk together and hold me close every night. (didn't happen😞)

DOES ANYONE RELATE? OR HAVE A SENIOR ISSUE TO TALK ABOUT?

Appleblossom and Peace have raised senior issues this week...

- RETIREMENT and MOBILITY

I'm hesitant to reveal my age these days, so when it's non consequential, I take off 10yrs. People listen more to 52yr old than they do to 60yr old.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE 60 TO CHAT HERE. OR REVEAL YOUR AGE.

Just love to hear your experiences.

EOR 💌

136 replies

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In response to: Seniors Matter

Re: Seniors Matter

@Former-Member

Never really got into shopping. I worked in them a lot early on 12-16 yrs. First in an Old fashioned variety store, then milk bar, where we mostly sold cigarettes and women fashion, where I did not like the bitchy sales girls, moved on and upwards to waitressing lol. Find shopping totally boring and a big con by capitalism. Eventually I went back to school and uni etc and did read Marx. Also sick of being told as a woman how much I owe to stuff and money and men. It plays a role but thats all. I dont fill my house every few years or have a high recycle rate. Have a lot of old things. Thinking about spending $300 on books this year, that will make a difference to the writers and help various causes. That will be big spend for this year apart from the paving ... lol Do it in one foul swoop so I can spend rest of time doing music or working for various causes.

When I was looking after kids I wished I was a nurse. I only had basic First Aid training from work which was better than nothing ... but there was so much I did not know about little humans.

I do have a home, but safety generally in the home and in my bed and head, has been an issue that still makes safety in my skin problematic. Would kids be better of without me and have house etcetc. I have to WORK hard now, telling myself I deserve to be alive. Its alright, I can live. That sort of thing. It should not be extra work, but there is so much I could not take for granted. Now I notice what others take for granted a lot. I dont feel jealousy, just a kind of distant ... oh thats what it is like to have a front door, to put between me and the rest of the world. I guess it is how early homelessness has marked me. The logical part of me kicks in with care taking ... householding ... repairs, growing vegies etc. I know 2 people who chose rentals over owning for less responsibility and worry. Some people seem jealous of me that I have a home and that stands between us being friends, they want me to support them in their misery, and I was hoping for an occasional walk coffee or movie. Just because I was poor and from a poor family did not mean I married for money or a house. He (my ex) has a bigger house and more land and always was secure in his right to it. He deliberately undermined my confidence even though I left the tax office and that helped him gain confidence, as he had my total support with his children, while we had a private company for 8 years, before he decided to go back to full time job. The gender presumptions can be so insulting, but underlies a lot of issues in my current social life. I am also a woman who did stem subjects, ie maths and science. I did not need to hang onto a man who knew science. I was sad and dissappointed by my husbands wooo pseudo science side which was part of his psychosis and schizophrenia and his mockery of religion or anything deeper or spiritual. Sorry thats a long post.

@PeriI am glad you liked the deeper conversation. I still hunger for them.

@Former-Memberand others reading along ..

Hope my rant does not put you off.

Matisse Dahlias

In response to: Seniors Matter

Re: Seniors Matter

Thank you for sharing so much of your story @Former-Member and I hope you don’t mind me reading it.

I live in my own home too which I bought not long after my hubby died. I miss him so much and I know he’d be proud of what I’ve established.

My kids live close and we meet up often with me doing the Sunday roast while they do the clean up. The rest of my family live interstate.

You would be a lovely nurse because you are are so kind and caring.

I’ll tell you more another time.

💙🧡💙

In response to: Re: Seniors Matter

Re: Seniors Matter

Thanks @Eve7 💞 I look forward to hearing more next time.

I'm really sorry the loss of your husband is still quite raw. I expect, irrespective of the time, you will always miss him. Yes Im sure he would be impressed and proud of what you have established.

Really happy for you that your kids live nearby, and you regularly meet up for Sunday roast dinners. Only fair they do the cleanup afterwards. 😀

Talk again soon. I hope your ECT went well today. 💜

How're you going this evening @Former-Member ?

Hiya @Appleblossom @Peri

Sherry 💖

In response to: Re: Seniors Matter

Re: Seniors Matter

@Appleblossom 💞💞💞

@Former-Member 💞💞💞

In response to: Re: Seniors Matter

Re: Seniors Matter

Good morning @Former-Member @Maggie @Peri @Eve7 @Sans911 @Appleblossom etc 😀

I forgot ... Maggie was a nurse too. Gee .. that must be 5 of you. 👷👷👷👷👷💝🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I have the utmost respect for you all.

Sherry 🌺🍀

In response to: Re: Seniors Matter

Re: Seniors Matter

Hi @Former-Member, I'm ok, thnx, big day today. Were you a nrse,? Maybe we should ldvstart a health care worker thread 🤗 Maybe on the other side, as *retired carers" lol
@Eve7, I'm so pleased you're having Sunday roast with your family... I have wonderful memories of my nan coming over with leg of lamb and fresh string beans and we all helped cook up abbgvroast... She would come early Sunday mornings and walk through the house with wooden spoon banging absauspan calling out "Rise and shine! Everyone out of bed" she was funny and it's my best memories of her. I like to imagine my girl sitting on her knee in heaven. Keep building great memories.
GREAT MEMORIES is the best gift.

In response to: Re: Seniors Matter

Re: Seniors Matter

I'm sorry everyone,vim not in a good place tonight and lost my glasses, and teary,vwill come back to unanswered posts later, sorry 😢

In response to: Re: Seniors Matter

Re: Seniors Matter

No @Former-Member , I have never worked as a nurse. Only as a carer, which includes a lot of nursing care. I dont think I could ever be a nurse ... you need to be pretty special I think. And I'm just not. Not sure I could handle shift work either. @Former-Member @Sans911 @Eve7 @Peri @Maggie.

Thats a lovely memory to have EOR .. of your Nan coming around Sunday mornings to rouse you all by banging a sausepan with a wooden spoon. And then sharing a good old lamb roast. In all likelihood, it was probably mutton.

Im sure your Nan would have taken your girl under her angel wing and will be taking good care of her for you. Those sort of memories and thoughts are most definitely a gift. Hang onto them.

Sorry you are not in a good place tonight. No sorries necessary for not responding to all replies. No need to respond to me any more than you already have.

Lost your glasses? Bugger. So annoying. I guess thats something most of us seniors do a fair bit of I suspect ... misplacing things. I often go on a search and rescue mission for my glasses. Phone too. But at least with a mobile phone, you can put a call through to it to make it ring and give you a clue if its nearby.

Talk to you again when you're feeling better. I keep forgetting to ask ... how is your little doggie coping with all the disruption with the packing? 🐶💗

Sherry 😀

In response to: Re: Seniors Matter

Re: Seniors Matter

Thank you @Former-Member

I’m trying to create happy family memories but it doesn’t always go well.

We celebrate Thanksgiving (American heritage) Passover (instead of Easter eggs) and Christmas.

I also have a little girl in Heaven and hopefully on her Daddy’s knee.

I hope you’re ok. Crying is good for your soul.

My Nan used to lay us on the floor on newspaper, cut around us, make a pattern and send us home in a new outfit..skirt, blouse, shorts. I don’t do that!

Hugs

💙🧡💙

In response to: Re: Seniors Matter

Re: Seniors Matter

Dear @Former-Member ,

thinking of you and watching over you tonight

peri

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