Help! Aging Parents: macular degeneration

Showing posts with label macular degeneration. Show all posts

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Aging--Macular Degeneration: A Determined 100-year-old's Efforts to Maintain Quality of Life

Sr. Advisor R has been called "amazing" for years by so many 40-60-year-olds, who call her "terrific" and "timeless." Past posts have underscored their respect for her wisdom and admiration for her ways of handling things. She's both an advisor to this bog, and my m-i-l. And currently she is facing another challenge: a big round spot blocking vision in one eye--macular degeneration.

To view entire post, please go to my other site.

Monday, January 3, 2011

Creative Strategies for Overcoming Vision Loss

While vision loss is sobering and scary, Jane Brody's NY Personal Health column in the December 28th NY Times, Science Times Section, is an important read, offering strategies and information for people with vision issues. Those with macular degeneration and Veterans with impaired vision will find this column especially compelling.

An 84-year-old man of intelligence and means, who wouldn't settle for a diminished life due to macular degeneration, finds ways to overcome low vision, enjoy independence and quality of life. His search and the information he uncovers is detailed in Jane Brody's column. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/28/health/28brody.html?_r=1&ref=healthPass it on.

It's hard to predict how people react, because we can't stand in their shoes. Yet I think anyone with serious vision problems would consider the information in this column a gift of hope. Agreed?

Hi, I'm Susan~

--Wife, teacher, counselor, author, and a far-away-living adult child for decades.

I came from the West to NY for the graduate program in counseling at Teachers College, Columbia U, and have stayed and worked in NY throughout my adult life.

Although far from family, I always knew I would "be there" if my parents needed me. Mother died just short of her 88th birthday; Dad died at 94, and most recently my-i-l, Sr. Advisor R--who lived alone (no caregivers) in her own home--died in June 2015 at 101.

Helping others comes naturally.

As a teenager I was a “Dear Abby” to my friends; later–as a teacher–an untrained counselor to my students. Graduate work and my counseling degree led to a career I’ve loved: counseling high school students and their families. This included–as divorce rates rose in the ’80’s–writing Helping Children of Divorce: a Handbook for Parents and Teachers, published by Schocken Books.

Help! Aging Parents is an extension of my ongoing desire to use my professional training and experience to help others.

About This Blog

Helping parents age well sounds so basic, but it doesn't happen automatically. While we train for the important parts of our lives (childbirth, driving, SATs, jobs), helping parents age well throughout the life cycle is usually on-the-job training--after a health event necessitates fast-forward learning.

Help! Aging Parents is committed to sharing the best information, professional advice, personal experiences and creative ideas to help parents and grandparents age as independently and well as possible until the very end.

* * *

As my parents aged I became aware of a sharp contrast: the ever-present enormous physical and emotional energy of my teenage counselees struggling to develop confidence, assert independence, increase relationships and have fun, while my parents' generation was trying desperately to hold onto these aspects of living.

This led to a disturbing realization: we conscientiously encourage and support younger people who have a full life ahead but--often unwittingly-- diminish and devalue older people. The implications: Younger people feel good about their ability to move forward, while older people can feel "what's the use, I'm old" leading to problems for them and for their children.

This is where we can--and do-- make a difference.

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Aging--Macular Degeneration: A Determined 100-year-old's Efforts to Maintain Quality of Life

Monday, January 3, 2011

Creative Strategies for Overcoming Vision Loss

Archive of Old Posts

Contact

Thursday, February 27, 2014

﻿Aging--Macular Degeneration: A Determined 100-year-old's Efforts to Maintain Quality of Life

Monday, January 3, 2011

Creative Strategies for Overcoming Vision Loss

Aging--Macular Degeneration: A Determined 100-year-old's Efforts to Maintain Quality of Life