Aging and the Mind-Body Disconnect
Back in April I wrote about the mind-body disconnect I see in both Mom and myself. This is the unrealistic expectations we have when our minds are convinced we can do what we’ve always done, but our bodies refuse to cooperate – or complain loudly when we push them.
The Rev. Amy Ziettlow, COO of Hospice of Baton Rouge, wrote an article for the Huffington Post about the same topic. In her hospital work she regularly encounters people who think they can do more than their bodies are capable of. And the result is an increased fall risk. She lists a set of criteria they use to assess fall risk. I see many of these criteria in Mom, and understand why I'm always on the alert when I'm with her. It’s a useful list as you evaluate your parents -- or yourself.
How do you cope with your own body/mind disconnect? How do you act your age, or help your aging parent to act his or her age? I'd love some new ideas. The old ones aren’t working…
