So far this class has proved to be an amazing experience. Within the first 2 weeks of reading “Happiness is a Choice” by John Leland, I have been offered a new perspective on my life course. As someone who is privileged to have the choice to accomplish what they would like with their life, I often feel overwhelmed by the uncertainty of choice and my decisions as I move forward. In his book, Leland expresses that when we are young, there is so much uncertainty surrounding us. Plus, as professor Lewis has expressed, your 20’s can be described as the loneliest time in your life course. From my personal experience and the observation of my peers, it seems as though people my age experience lots of inner turmoil in response to where we are at and where we are going. One elder in the book explains that “when you’re young, the future is so far away, and you don’t know what will happen to you and the world. So when you’re young, you have more worries than the elderly” (Leland, 42). The thought that uncertainty diminishes when you are older felt relieving to me. While thinking this, I also thought that while death can be close to us at any time, it is uncertain when it will arrive. When you are older, death is still uncertain, however it is so much more certain than it ever was. We participated in an activity where we imagined our lives at 80. We imagined what our daily life would be like, where we lived, etc. This activity reminded me of Leland's example of chess. When you know where all the pieces are near the end of the game, it is a lot easier to imagine the steps to get there rather than if you were to play the game without knowing where the pieces end up. So, knowing where I want to be when I am 80, makes it significantly easier to imagine the steps I can take to get there. Essentially, it simplifies my ability to make choices by imagining my life course from the top→bottom rather than bottom→top. There is also something very clarifying about death feeling so certain. I think I often forget about how close death is to me.
Today (1/25/23), we went to the Gary and Mary West Senior Wellness Center. I had a wonderful time there. The center was beautiful and their resources were amazing. During the tour, I was not expecting to see a dental office. I was amazed to learn about how preventative dental offices are to our health. Our leader explained how 40% of illness for older adults develops in the gums first. He also shared an experience with an older adult who used to cover her mouth when speaking to him because she was embarrassed of her mouth. It is so interesting that dentistry is important to not only treat and prevent illness, but to also increase confidence in socialization which has many mental and physical health benefits. It was disheartening to learn that the people who are arguably the most vulnerable (ie: people who struggle to dress themselves or use the restroom) are turned away in many cases. I thought that it was cool that the center has lights outside and cameras so that people experiencing homelessness can feel a level of safety if they are sleeping there. I really enjoyed connecting with the older adults and the staff that work there. Everyone was so kind and happy to have a conversation. Because I was serving food, I didn’t have as much time to talk to others, but I look forward to having conversations at our love, connect, and care event. Fred, one of the volunteers there, was a wonderful person who was very easy to connect with. I had a nice time doing a little dance with him and chatting with him.
I would be interested to learn more about housing for older adults. Today, our leader expressed how decision makers used to hold this idea that stovetops were a hazard to have in the older adult rooms. I wonder if this came from the assumption that older adults are too forgetful or slow. I am glad that they are now putting stovetops in housing because I feel that giving someone the autonomy to cook their own meals is really powerful. I am curious as to what other assumptions about housing for older adults have been made over the years. I also would be curious if there have been developers who design housing that is layered. Meaning that mixed in with the housing are spaces for activities, resources, etc. If anyone has ever read Soft Cities by David Sims, that is what I am thinking about.
Today (1/25/23), we went to the Gary and Mary West Senior Wellness Center. I had a wonderful time there. The center was beautiful and their resources were amazing. During the tour, I was not expecting to see a dental office. I was amazed to learn about how preventative dental offices are to our health. Our leader explained how 40% of illness for older adults develops in the gums first. He also shared an experience with an older adult who used to cover her mouth when speaking to him because she was embarrassed of her mouth. It is so interesting that dentistry is important to not only treat and prevent illness, but to also increase confidence in socialization which has many mental and physical health benefits. It was disheartening to learn that the people who are arguably the most vulnerable (ie: people who struggle to dress themselves or use the restroom) are turned away in many cases. I thought that it was cool that the center has lights outside and cameras so that people experiencing homelessness can feel a level of safety if they are sleeping there. I really enjoyed connecting with the older adults and the staff that work there. Everyone was so kind and happy to have a conversation. Because I was serving food, I didn’t have as much time to talk to others, but I look forward to having conversations at our love, connect, and care event. Fred, one of the volunteers there, was a wonderful person who was very easy to connect with. I had a nice time doing a little dance with him and chatting with him.
I would be interested to learn more about housing for older adults. Today, our leader expressed how decision makers used to hold this idea that stovetops were a hazard to have in the older adult rooms. I wonder if this came from the assumption that older adults are too forgetful or slow. I am glad that they are now putting stovetops in housing because I feel that giving someone the autonomy to cook their own meals is really powerful. I am curious as to what other assumptions about housing for older adults have been made over the years. I also would be curious if there have been developers who design housing that is layered. Meaning that mixed in with the housing are spaces for activities, resources, etc. If anyone has ever read Soft Cities by David Sims, that is what I am thinking about.