In Hopes that We Can, Age Healthily Physically

Understanding of just HOW important it is, to be able to stay physically agile as we age, from the experiences of those around her, and now, she’s, taking heed, making sure she stays, as agile as she is allowed to, stay, physically, so she doesn’t have to, impose on her children as she enters into the elderly years, translated…

I’d heard hat my fifth uncle who’d been healthy and agile who’s eighty-five had, slipped in the bathrooms and bumped his head, had started exerting signs of early stages of dementia already; while my aunt is also in her seventies, going on eighty too, worried that the two of them may fall down together, my younger cousin immediately filed the papers to hire a foreign nurse’s aide, it’d made me feel thrilled.

My fifth uncle looks exactly like my mother, in the ten siblings, the two of them were the closest to each other, he’d often come to her to carry on in conversations, he’d poured his heart out, from his younger schooling careers, to falling in love, to getting married, to starting to work, not to my grandmother but to my, mom, “the eldest sister became a mother”, was the relation of my fifth uncle with my, mother.  He’d often come over to hang, and took the two of us to play in the playgrounds, to the track fields to work off our excessive energies, clearly, he’s the king of us, and it’d made us feel, that he was my mother’s eldest son, that my older brother was the second-born.

After mom passed, my fifth uncle started growing old quickly, I saw him healthy awhile back when we’d gathered for the family meals, and now, the news of him tripping, falling down, leading to his diagnosis of dementia, and I’d recalled how he’d laughed and talked awhile ago, and now, he’s, stuck in his sickbed, and my heart ached for him.

continuing to exercise as we ought to to stay physically fit, as we grow older…

photo from online

It is something that’s terrible for an elderly person to trip and fall.  A college classmate of mine, accidentally slipped on a piece of green onion, and broken his fibula, she lives alone, lost her husband already, and, the two daughters who were both married were thrilled by her fall, rushed back to stay with her to care for her, she’d felt really bad about it.  As I’d gone to visit her, she’d reminded us all, to clear off the floors, to get rid of the spilled water, the residuals of the vegetables, that at our age, we can’t, afford to trip and slip and fall.  Although now, she’d made a full recovery, her joints started aching when the weather changed, and she’d, not dared alerted her daughters, and can only, put up with the pains and aches by herself.

All of these had made me alert over the cleanliness of my floors, and it got me to the point of not being able to accept a speck of dust, no drop of water on it, keeping the bathroom dry, immediately mopping up the water on the kitchen floors, picking up the trash, in case, all of these will turn into the final straw that brings down the camel’s, back.  My husband joked about how anal I’d become, but we’re both, entered into the elderly age, we can’t afford to trip and fall.  Best be, prepared all that we possibly, can.

I’d made myself, chewed my foods thoroughly before swallowing, to avoid the choking hazards now, can’t just, gulf everything down like I used to, and I must admit, that it takes longer for me to swallow the foods down these days too, my teeth became, loosen somewhat as well, and I’d, taken the smaller bites, if I were to choke, nobody will carry the pains of that, I am trying to, become an elder who doesn’t, trouble anybody else.

so we won’t be like this…in need of someone else’s assistance to help us get up in the mornings…photo from online

There’s business to take care of, I’d gotten out early, and trekked very slowly, I’m no longer pressed by the performance like I once was from work, followed the traffic signs, looked both ways to make sure there was no cars coming or going on the streets I’m about to cross.  Never would I, run to, catch a bus again, the next one will come in about, a little over ten minutes, no need to rush, why risk my health, for these, few extra, seconds of time.

My husband and I made that pact, to grow old together, healthy, I’d once experienced how trying it was, getting burned on both ends, caring for my two parents who were ill at the same, time, to live until the end, as healthy as I possibly can, to NOT drag my kids down, that is, the goal I am working toward right now; in other words, dying peacefully, is what my husband and I are, working towards for the end.

So, this is on how important to keep up with our own agility as we age, because, as we grow older, we’re bound to slow down considerably in our reaction time, our flexibility, and, if we don’t try and keep our bodies agile enough, then, when old age comes, we will, have hell to pay, not to mention, that we will, become burdens to our own young and none of us want that, do we?  Of course not!

Giving My Children’s Toys a Brand New Lease on Life

How those old toys found brand new life, being played by your mother, helping her to stay active in the hands, and in the, mind too…translated…

As my children left home one by one, I’d started, wavering on whether to throw away the toys that they’d played with in childhood or not.  Keeping them, they’re useless, taking up space, gathering dusts; tossing them out, what if, one day, they wanted to reminisce, where will they go, to find their, old days of play back?

It seemed that there are the pros AND cons of keeping and throwing, I’d kept, stalling these toys, and just, never got the opportunity, to play with them with my own children again, but I’d found my own mother, slowly, growing, older.  Gone back to visit my mother, and I’d found, that there isn’t much she can do in her elderly time, there’s nothing, but time that’s, accumulated in her life, seeing how she’d, sat and stared into the walls, losing focus in her, eyes, getting stressed out with nothing to do, I’d contemplated about how to change that for her.

How do I get my mother, to exercise her mind, to kill her time?  As I was wrecking my brains for the means to interact with her, suddenly, the toys my children had played with when they were little surfaced to mind, or maybe, they will be good, to help my mother pass the time, to ease her, loneliness.

I’d started, moving the old toys I have at my home to my mother’s home.  At first, my mother, wasn’t keen on the idea, and I’d, started, begging and pleading, slowly, I got her to, play with them, later, I saw my mother, looking really focused, as she’d pulled out the Jenga blocks, or how she was, focused, as she’d tried to, put the puzzle pieces together , I’d started worrying, that I didn’t have enough of a variety of games prepared for her, and forced myself to brainstorm, what sorts of a toy my mother may enjoy playing with?  What sort of a puzzle can help her relieve her boredom?

Everybody said that elderly are like children, with the coming of age, the thoughts, the temperaments, the behaviors will get returned, back to, the, childhood states, like children, stubborn, and full of creativity.  I’d laughed off the thought as I’d heard it from before, never imagined I would one day, accompany my mother through her second childhood, with the toys that my children no longer, played with.  And, these toys became, the means of connecting me and my mother in interacting, and, the feelings were not quite the same, as I’d, played with my children compared to how I’m playing with my mother using the toys.

like this…photo from online

My priority had been to accompany my children as they grow up, at the time, I’d thought on how I can give my children a better future, time flew quickly by, and now, my children are all grown, and my parents are, aging, became more and more, reliant on those around them, and right now, I wanted to be their companion, as they grow old, gracefully, to not have, any, regrets.

I’d turned my head, saw my mother, in that pile of toys, with her concentration, and that grin from ear to ear.  I’d felt glad, secretively, that I’d not, thrown these toys of my children’s, out, which gave me this time, to accompany her.

And so, this is how the elderly will, return, back to, their, childhood, and, it’s now the children’s turns, to accompany their own aging parents, and this woman gave brand new life to the old toys that her children outgrew, and she got to enjoy some quality time playing with the toys with her own mother.

I Don’t Want the Batteries on My Pacemaker Changed Again!

When you’d become elderly, and everybody you knew from your younger years had, already, gone, you feel that loneliness coming on strong, and you’re, all alone by yourself, without people your age you can, share your experiences, talk about those, good ol’ days, with, translated…

“I shall not change the batteries, again”, the agile, and very aware elderly woman in her nineties told me, as she’d come back to the hospital to get the batteries of her pacemaker checked told me.  “I’d lived, long enough!”, her eyes were, steady, “of our entire class, there’s only me, and another that’s still, living now.”

Before I could get a word in, she’d turned her gaze toward the distance, like she wasn’t, speaking to me anymore, but immersed in her own, world, “just allow the battery of my pacemaker to die on its own then, when the battery stopped work, I shall, just, go.”, her eyes were glowing, as she’d, imagined the day.

“But, if the battery run out, and, only the left side dies, not the right, or as the brain dies, the limbs are still, alive, it would be tragic, to be in that, vegetative, state!”, I’d attempted to, deter her from the idea.  “What’s scarier is that your body’s returned, and can’t move, but your brains are still, quite, functional”.

She’d, flinched a little.

“Nobody knows what plan the heavens have for us.”

She’s now, in, deep thought.

“Besides, you’re, still agile and healthy, walking with your back straight, you are still quite young, biologically, it seems………”, I’d looked at her up and down, “people will mistake you for seventy-something.”

She’d smiled, courteously.

“When you ride the bus, there would be those who let up their seats to you?”

She’d nodded.

“I’m sorry, your time isn’t up yet, and I plan to, make money off of your until you’re, a hundred twenty years old, you still have thirty years of paying for my treatment, you can’t take that, away from me now!”

“Hahaha!  Fine, just as well then, I’ll, let you make money off of me”, the patient followed my lead, ended the discussion, and maybe she’d, changed her mind, or maybe, she hadn’t.

And maybe, it’s how people she knew who are her age are, dying around her, making her feel this way.

This reminded me of, a patient from many years ago, in his nineties, still agile, and lucid of mind, he was an optimistic man, one day he’d come to see me for treatment, and it was like he’s, a totally, different, person then, slouched in his own corner, refusing to answer any of my, inquiries.  I’d turned and asked his daughter what had happened in his life of late, “Last month, my father went back home to visit.”

“Isn’t that a good thing?  How did he become like this now?”

“He’d found that all of the elders his age are, gone, that there was no one who knew him, back in his, hometown now.”

this is how life, goes…silhouette from online

I’d looked upon my patient with empathy, felt that the years finally, caught up to, him, he’d aged by thirty years, in this one trip back to his, hometown, to his, real, age now.

What chases us, sometimes, it’s not the body, but watching how those we knew of our own age, pass away, feeling that “I’m all alone”, that chill.  When there’s no one we can share our own life’s experiences with, maybe, it was like that swordsman, watching his apprentices, play, looking very happy, but what was lost, was what belonged to one self, what we’d shared with those our age, that will, never, come back, again, the shared memories of our, common, pasts.

And so, this is what happens, when you’d, outlived everybody, but it’s not your time to go yet, and you’re just going to have to, weather through this last passage of your life, by yourself, without those who are your age by your side, but look on the bright side, at least, these individuals still had families who cared for them, so that should, make up for something???

Returning to School to Recharge Ourselves, Girlfriends, Looking Out for One Another

How to age gracefully, with our minds active, our friends all around us, offering us the social and emotional support, off  of the Newspapers, translated…

The cultures, the society of Taiwan right now, still held firm to the beliefs of “men getting married and women married off is the best way”, and, as I’m past marrying age, I’m still, single, but I’m, getting along well as a single woman.

Because I’m independent, and focused solely on work in my primes, I’d not had any major issues in living alone, until two years ago, when I’d switched tracks, my life is not packed up with work, and I’d started, experiencing anxiety in the vacant moments when I had too much time on my hands, in a chance encounter, I’d decided to return to school, and, as I’d gone to school, I’d found, that there are, a lot of women who are, just like me, still single.

the writer with her group of friends with whom she socializes with, after retirement, returning back to school to take up the hobby courses…photo courtesy of UDN.com

And because of this, I’d gotten, a group of, girlfriends, and we’d often, invited one another to share our cooking, to go out hiking, to ride together, to run marathons, etc., etc., etc., my life became, fulfilled, through getting into the crowds to interact with others, I started becoming, more optimistic, outgoing, the positive energies now radiate from my body, my mind, and my soul, the group of us also made that pact, other than keeping up with our finances regularly, we will care for one another after we retired, in the future, we’re not, all, alone.

Actually, being single is public enemy that in the past, living alone isn’t specialized to the elderly populations, instead, it’d become, a sort of a, trend, as well as a course we all need to, master, living alone isn’t synonymous with lonely or alone, the ways of life in modern  day society is fitted to the single living lifestyles, so long as we can manage our times well, plan our finances, find that sense of belonging, and learn to get along well with “lonely”, living alone, is also, a good way to grow, old.

And so, contrary to the beliefs of the past of how we need someone by our sides, now we don’t, because we’d become, more and more independent, and many women are too focused at work, climbing that ladder higher up in our primes, that many of us, aren’t dating, aren’t married, or having children, so what?  We can be just as happy and free, so long as we find that thing that keeps our minds engaged, that skill set we can live off of, and those hobbies we can pursue, once we get to, retirement age, oh, and friends, to hang, to socialize with, that’s, important, too.

The Etude of, Death

As life nears end, how do you, want to, go???  Translated…

After reading the article, “To Let Go or Not?” by Chen on the papers on April 21^st, I can totally empathize with the writer that “those who wanted to keep mom alive, can’t bear to lose her; and those who can’t see her suffer anymore, don’t want her to live in, pain”, I’m certain, that if the loved ones are in critical condition, and if the families didn’t talk about the DNR, it would be, next to impossible for the members of the family to reach a consensus, after all, this is not, as simple as a true or false.

“Do we resuscitate, or do we, let go?”, this is such a difficult question to answer, because every patient’s age, condition before the necessity of resuscitation measure, and economic statuses are all, different, it’s hard to have a one-size-fits-all answer; but, if everybody can have a clear idea of one’s own final affairs, whether or not to get resuscitated, and tell the loved ones, and when the moments come, at least, the family would not argue on the matter, because they can’t reach a consensus.

and this is, the MOST IMPORTANT DOCUMENT we will, EVER, sign…photo from online

My mother-in-law in March due to heart failure, was hospitalized, and only through surgical means, will it change the problem of her heart not pumping enough blood, to get her more oxygen, and yet, she’s already, elderly, two years ago, she’d been saved from death, as she had the stents in her heart planted in, this time, she’d told us she didn’t want to go under the knife again.  My mother-in-law is still conscious, but can no longer, live without the respirators, and she’d needed the antidiuretic injections frequently.

The surgeons asked if when my mother-in-law is in critical condition, do we want to resuscitate, to have the medical professionals perform C.P.R., to intubate, to get her a shot of adrenaline to her heart…………two years ago, my mother-in-law already signed her own “decision for her medical care provisions”, and we’d, confirmed it with her this time again, she’d told us, she is already ninety-two, she’s lived her full life, and didn’t want to live out the rest of her time in a sickbed, that everything should go by nature.

Two years ago, as the hospital gave us the critical conditions notice for her, and miraculously she’d, recovered, and a month out of the hospital, she could move around on her own.  And for this whole past year, my husband’s been, bullshitting with my mother-in-law for their time together, and as she was hospitalized again, we are all, prepared, my husband would jokingly ask her, “did Buddha come for you last night?” my second eldest sister-in-law chimed in, “if he comes for you, do go with him, there’s going to be, that light1”. While my third eldest was with a straight face, although she knew what her mother wanted, but still felt upset over how her second eldest sister and  youngest brother’s means of joking with my mother-in-law on such serious, matters.

These few years, my mother-in-law’s conditions worsened, and my husband often chatted with her on the matters of life and death, few years ago, both my husband and I signed our own terminal decision, and as my mother-in-law learned that we had, she’d inquired about it, and signed her own terminal decision of care two years ago herself.  She’d told her will to every one of her children, and so, this time she was hospitalized, and didn’t have any appetite, the doctors asked if she wanted to get the feeding tubes into  her, my mother-in-law told them again, she wanted to die naturally.  I’d once heard from a relative that her mother was starved to death, because her older sister-in-law didn’t take her mother to get the injections of the nutrition she’d needed; the daughter-in-law who’d cared for her mother-in-law for over decade’s time, how upset she would feel, if she heard the bad reputation that was, forced onto her.

I’m grateful for my mother-in-law, to save the difficulties from us, she’d planned ahead, made the decision by herself.  On the morning that she passed, after the formula was given to her at the hospital, she’d told us she wanted to take a nap, then, she’d, passed away peacefully, in her, sleep.  We are all, sad, but, we don’t feel, any regrets, or loss!

And so, this is on the importance of dying with dignity, and, not all of us are allowed to have that, because, these days, the medical advances is good for keeping people alive, but without the awareness of how keeping someone alive for a long, long time, means that the quality of life drops, considerable, and, this also points out the necessity for a D.N.R. to be signed by the individuals who are, aging, because unless you want the tubes in and out of your body, as you worked really hard, not to, swallow down your, final breaths…

When the Memories Became Like a Jigsaw Puzzle

Forgetting, a part of, the normal aging process, is it now???  Translated…

Seemed, that since we got the elderly card, both my wife’s and my memories of names, seemed to be like the jigsaw puzzles, that we’d had to, piece together, one by one, and sometimes, it was a two-person job to get it done.

A few days ago, I was standing in line early in the morn at the super convenience store to pay, found that a former coworker who had yet to retire, in the line.

I’d wrecked my brains for her name, in case, when we came face to face, and I can’t, note her by her name, how awkward that must be.

Yep, I’d recalled there was a “Ling” in her name, but, what was, her, last, name???  I can’t call her, Ms. Ling now, can I.  Seeing how it came my time to get checked out, she, who was waiting for her coffee, so near, I still can’t recall her last name, my temperature started, rising, up.

Thankfully, as I’d paid and got out of the shop, she’d not, made me.  Exiting the store, climbed down the steps to the MRT stations, suddenly, her last name came to me.  As I’d waited for the trains, her full name came back to me too, like, it was without, any, hard work.  But, a few short minutes ago, no matter how hard I’d, wrecked my brains, I can’t, recall her name no matter how hard I’d, tried.

This putting people’s names together, was most prevalent when we were watching T.V., oftentimes, as we inquired about the stars’ names, the names that’d become too familiar would get stuck in our throats, “ahhhhhhhhhhh~~~”, a long time, and, we can’t state the name, especially for the Japanese actors and actresses.

illustration from UDN.com

My wife was right.  “We can’t even remember the three-character names, let alone the full names with four, even five characters!”

Recently, there’s the rerun of the soap, “Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace”, as my wife saw the preview, she’d asked me, “What’s the first name of the male character, Something Huo?”, I’d scratched my head, “Wally Huo!” she’d then corrected me, “no, it’s Wallace Huo!”

Like piecing together the jigsaw, we were feeling amazing of our selves, laughed, she’d started getting troubled again, “His wife was, Cyndi Wang, right?  Can’t remember it a few moments ago!”

I’d gotten all high up and mighty, and corrected her, “No, his wife is Ruby Wang!  You also, have a, fish, brain too!”

Then, in the end, my gloating did not last long enough, within a minute’s time, she’d called out, to check my mate, “No, it’s NOT Ruby Wang, but Ruby LIN!”

Seemed, that the competitions of puzzling with our memories, it’s a tie for the day.

In the end, we’d, used the following story, to make ourselves feel better.

Two aging couples met for the meals, after they ate, the wives were in the kitchen, doing the dishes, with the homeowner telling the friend, that he’d gone to a good restaurant to dine with his wife the day before, the guest started asking which restaurant it was.  The man thought hard, “the restaurant’s name was a flower, a lot of it are sold on Valentine’s Day, the flower had a ton of, thorns……….”, the guest was ecstatic blurted out, “Rose!”, and at this time, the man turned to his wife, asked, “Hey Rose, what was that restaurant we ate at last night?”

like this, our memories, eventually, became…pieces that will go missing from time to time…photo from online

Thinking about this joke, my wife and I laughed, dryly, and we can’t help but prayed: it is okay that we can’t remember the names of the T.V. stars, the movie stars, just don’t let us forget, each other’s, names, and had to, mix and, match like so.

And so, this is how memories are, fading, and there’s nothing we can do about it, because, as we age, our brains would slow down, and we don’t think as fast as we’re once, used to, especially after the retirement, we’d stopped, interacting with those people that required us to use our brains for, and we don’t work anymore, which also, added to the deteriorations of our, minds, and, staying active, take the new routes to and from places, try the new things, is a way, to liven up all our brains, to keep our brains from, deteriorating, away.

The Beef Noodle Soup & the, Great Divide

The first thing to go is the eyes, or, so that’s what this article, “proves”…translated…

It’d always, felt to me, that the stages of life, came, unknowingly, for a period of time, I’d contemplated on where that cut-off of the midlife and old age was?  Some use age to determine, others, external, appearances, while there are also those, who believed, that the mindset is, the most, important, determinant.

Our Japanese instructor who’s young and beautiful often commended us, the group of elderly students for looking younger than we are, her words felt like the warm sunshine on the cold winters’ days, like we are, actually, much, much, younger, and it’d made us all, pay more attention in the classes; and yet, awhile ago, after I’d gone to dine with my younger sister, that bubble of imagined youthfulness, burst.

can you see better now??? Photo from online

She who lives far away, took the New Year’s to come home to visit, I’d treated them out at a beef noodle soup shop, the photos of the entrees posted all over the walls.  As the foods were served, my young nephew, Yi-Xun couldn’t wait, and started fishing for the beef in the bowl for a very long time, then, with that look of disappointment, asked, “how come there’s no beef in my beef noodle soup?”, the server came over with the order slip, confirmed, “You did, order the beef noodle soup!”

In the dimly lit diner, I’d, accidentally, checked the wrong order, yep, that’s, shameful of me all right, and, I almost, got misunderstood as “too cheap”.

A few days later, my younger sister mailed me a pair of reading glasses.  Everyone has a ruler to evaluate the standards of what we do, “making the wrong orders” was my younger sister’s of measuring me for, being aged, I’d shocking discovered, that my divide of old age, rested, in that bowl of, beef noodle, soup.

Yeah, sometimes, we don’t realize we’d grown old, until something like this had, happened to us, and, what can we do, but just, laugh it off, after all there’s NO way any of us, can deter from, the avoid, growing older, so, we can only, use the things (i.e. reading glasses, canes, walkers, etc., etc., etc.) to better adapt ourselves, to the, irreversible, process of, coming of, age.

Borderline…

What’s that mean, huh???

Borderline, you’re, almost, past it, but you’re, still, “within the ‘normal’ realms” of things?  Calls for, concerns???  No, not really, “we” (the “authorities”), just want you to be, more careful, NOT, to “cross over” that border!

Borderlines, almost breached, but not yet!  So, can we be, borderline STUPID???  What’s that, huh?  You’re, mostly, STUPID, but at times, you’re, a, genius, is that, it???

results like, these…cause for, concerns, maybe??? Photo from online

Borderline, that’s just for, “references” sake (whatever THAT means), that only means, that you need to be, watchful for what you, put into, your, “systems”, and “we” (the authorities), are only telling you this, for your, OWN G-O-O-D!

But, don’t I get a say, over WHAT, is, for my own, good???

Borderline, yeah, I’ll start to feel, “mildly” (still not “fully”!!!), “concerned” IF I’m, OVER the, B-O-R-D-E-R-S here.

Why is Coming of Age an Inevitable, Process

Lessons learned, from taking care of her aging father: to care for her physical health, so she won’t become, reliant on someone else, and, burden the individual when she’s elderly too!  Translated…

With his hands on the handles of the wheelchair, the tears fell, uncontrollably, I was crying, couldn’t hide my emotions with my voice then, my father who’d been complaining about how his right foot keeps falling off the foot pedals, stopped talking, and worked really hard, moving his body onto the wheelchair straight.

In this ally, there’s the armor I wanted to take off, and too many, whys, and, more of, the answers that responded back to me, in, silence.

I pushed the wheelchair, with my father who’d had his stroke twenty years ago, paralyzed on his right side, he’d been troubled by the itching of his skin after he fell asleep.

In the cold, but finally sunny afternoon, I’d put his hat on his head, pushed him along, that path that’s not set up, for the, handicapped persons, getting through one obstacle after the next, and the next, on the course, our goal was, the dermatologist’s office only six hundred meters out; it’s just, that neither of us are strong enough in the minds, to allow the joys of the sunny afternoon, to overcome the hardship of getting there.

My father and I complained all the way, and, at the final time, when I was about to, set my father’s foot on the foot board, that task that’s been incomplete, getting in both our ways, smashed itself, against, both our, heads.

illustration from UDN.com

This time, I’d not only helped my father put his food on the board, I’d, also, injured by left foot that’s, easily, sprained.

Then, we both sat by the side of the road, started crying, nonstop, it was like screaming into, that echoing valley, so full of, force, or maybe, it was me, who didn’t want to cope, that every accident had, the gifts in the, same amount of, weightiness to them.

Before last year, my father still had the ability to take care of himself, slowly.  I’d thought that dying in your sleep is the best way to die, it’s just, that his third stroke hit unexpectedly, the signing up for the long-term care provisions, or the application to the daycare center, are like pop quizzes, and, I’d, gotten my teeth knocked out of me, even if I wasn’t, feeling, upset, and that was when it’d dawned on me, that optimistically thinking that we will age gracefully, is the most, irresponsible, thought.

Based off of the estimates of the government agency, by 2026, Taiwan will formally enter the super elderly era, and, by then, the population of elderly will get up to twenty-percent, and, it won’t be long, until, we’re all, face-to-face with the impacts of the hard-hitting, coming of age, and, are our parents, or are we, putting the emphasis on still getting, everything to ourselves?

After I’d gone through that afternoon, full of, upsets, and complaints, suddenly, there was, a window, with the light shining in, I’d, clicked open the exercise class for the aging, put down my registration information, and, sent it in, or maybe, life is, an obstacle courses that we need to get through, one stage at a time, but, the tiny blessings in our, bitter lives, are what’s worth, holding on tightly, to.  And, only in the ups, and the downs, will we understand, how big a blessing, these small things are, don’t feel bad, congratulations, you’d, come to understand the importance, of how to age your mind, against, your own, body’s, coming of age, process.

So, this is the understanding of this woman, in caring for her father, she’d felt the strains, and, she’d, come to understand, that keeping up with her own physical health is the most important thing, because if you don’t have your physical health when you’re older, then, you will, have to, rely on others to care for you, and that’s not, good!

Do Provide a Safe Place for the Abused Elderly

Growing old, and living on the lower end of the socioeconomic status ladder here!  This is what we’ll all be, faced with as we grow older, if this continues!  Off of the Front Page Sections, translated…

It’d given me that chill, reading up on the increasing number of elderly being abused, and can’t find a place temporarily for them to be, safe, there are, an increasing number of human elderly kickball, getting bounced around by the nursing homes, it’d, really, awful.

Not long ago, the news of how Honduras tried to extort Taiwan for three billion dollars U.S. in loans, and we couldn’t provide to them, they’d, cut off diplomatic ties.  We do NOT know what sort of a substantial assistance these countries that extorted Taiwan for money has, but, comparing to the needed money to place an elderly person out of a dangerous home, costing only, $5,000N.T., the total we offered to Honduras, can help place tens of millions of elderly in the population who are in need of placement!  And, this miniscule a request, the government doesn’t hear, and just, allowed this group of people, to live and die off on their, own!

Or maybe, some of you think, that my comparison of these two totally unrelated matter is ill-fitted, but, isn’t the party and leader in control of the government, supposed to have the welfare of we the people, in mind?  And it’s, undeniable, how the government turned that blind eye to the elderly in need, who’d been abused, or abandoned, and living under the threats of domestic violence.

elderly population in Japan, living AT the bottom of the socioeconomic status…photo from online

As the country marched into the super elderly population trend, the proportion of elderly had risen to 18.4-percent compared to last year’s statistics; in two more years, one out of every five would be over sixty-five years of age.  Oftentimes, I’d seen the elderly, pushing that shopping cart, piled with the recycling materials inside, and there were the elderly vegetable vendors who’d sold off their homegrown produces at the marketplaces, the elderly who’d gazed into the distance unknown, sitting in the park on the benches, the elderly waiting for long hours to get treated by the physicians in the hospital waiting rooms…………every time, as I watched this happening, I can’t help but wonder, is this, the future, for most of us, when we’re, elderly too?

But, these are still elderly who are still, agilely, living on their, own.  In recent times, the increase in domestic violence cases involving elderly is on that rise, the elderly who can’t live on their own, the caretaking, and the matter of safety concerns, is even more, serious; the problems of dementia, abuse, children abandoning their elderly parents, the nursing home staff abusing the residents, along with other problems that stemmed from this, due to the traditional beliefs of how we need to keep the scandals within the realms of the individual families, causing a ton of elderly who’d been abused, to not be willing to, report it.

And, can we only, follow that path that the Japanese writer wrote about, “Low-Living in the Elderly Years”, growing old, becoming poverty-stricken, and lonely too?

And so, as the population is aging fast, this is a problem that we can’t, put off, we can’t ignore, and yet, the governments systems still aren’t, set up well enough, this is why there are so many cases, growing in numbers, of elderly abuse in this country right now.