The Elderly-What Do You See?

[JoAnnS]

Hello:

Don't shoot the messenger. I thought I'd pass on this email that I received. Thanks for letting me share it.

The Elderly-What Do You See?

What do you see?

"What do you, nurses, what do you see?

What are you thinking when looking at me?

A crabby old woman, not very wise?

Uncertain of habit with faraway eyes.

Who dribbles her food and makes no reply

when you say in a loud voice, 'I do wish you'd try;'

who seems not to notice the things that you do,

and forever is losing a stocking or shoe.

Is that what you're thinking?

Is that what you see?

Then, open your eyes . . .

you're not looking at me.

I'll tell you who I am, as I sit here so still,

as I do your bidding, as I eat (at) your will.

I'm a small child of 10 with a father and mother,

brothers and sisters who love one another.

A young girl of 16 with wings on her feet,

dreaming that soon now a lover she'll meet.

A bird soon at 20, my heart gives a leap,

remembering the vows (that) I promised to keep.

At 25 now, I have young of my own,

who need me to build a secure, happy home.

A woman of 30, my young . . . grows fast,

bound to each other with ties that should last.

At 40, my young sons have grown and are gone,

but my man's beside me to see I don't mourn.

At 50, more babies' play round my knee;

again, we know children, my loved one and me.

Dark days are upon me, my husband is dead.

I look to the future, I shudder with dread.

For my young are all rearing (the) young of their own,

and I think of the years and the love I have known.

I'm an old woman now, and nature is cruel.

'Tis her jest to make old age look like a fool.

The body, it crumbles; grace and vigor depart.

There (now is) a stone where I once had a heart.

But inside this old carcass, a young girl still dwells,

and now and again, my heart (truly) swells.

I remember the joy, I remember the pain,

and I'm loving and living life over again.

I think of the years, all too few, gone too fast,

and accept the stark fact that nothing can last.

So, open your eyes, nurses, and see . . .

Not a crabby old woman, look closer, see me."

-Author Unknown-or-Is She-

[blueberrybon]

My throat constricts every time I read that poem.

I always think of the man/woman who is even past that last stage of the poem, who just want you to hold their hand. The look in their eyes saying "Please don't leave me".... Okay, there go the eyes watering again.

Blue

[NARCAN]

that was very nice!!!

[It's Alisa]

I LIKE this poem...thank you for posting it, I had never seen that before. We do sometimes forget the PEOPLE we are dealing with, and only see the SYMPTOMS, this steers you right back at the person.

[Music in My Heart]

I like this poem, too.

I'm doing my CNA clinicals in an LTC and there are a few of the residents that really touch me. One is a 102 year old woman who was an RN. Oh what she could tell me if only she could speak.

Yesterday I was with her and getting ready to change her briefs, get her dressed, and out of bed. I told her, "xxx, we're going to change you now and get you up. You did this a million times, I bet, so you know the drill. Just relax and we'll get you cleaned up. You did this service for so many patients over the years and now it's time for us to provide the same service to you. We'll take good care of you. You've earned it."

As we were finishing up, I heard this tiny, little voice coming from her..."thank you," she barely said.

A couple of days ago, I was in the activities room where some lady was reading to some residents. "And now, we're going to talk about ICE," she said just a bit too happily. "Do YOU know what an avalanche is?" I said to my partner, "They're old, not stupid..." I would be so angry if I were in an "old-folks home" and some twit spoke to me like that.

We'd all do well to remember that the geriatrics were once just like us.