The Circle of Life
It’s often noted that the older people get, the more childlike they can become. It’s the circle of life. Part of this circle may involve learning new ways of walking, talking and living in society. Eventually, the body’s changes leave the person dependent on a caregiver, reversing the roles of parent and child.
It’s hard to believe that our parents or grandparents will go through this pattern of life. Families rarely discuss the realities of aging. Instead, it creeps up on us. And we find the person who seemed so strong and invincible in our childhood suddenly needing us for help in daily living.
But the elderly should not be considered a burden. The San Francisco-based nonprofit Self-Help for the Elderly is proving seniors can have full, independent lives — with some guidance and assistance. Indeed, many of the clients they serve are beginning new lives in their twilight years.
Take Mr. and Mrs. Lee, for example. (Their names have been changed to protect their identities.) After suffering from abuse at the hands of their daughter-in-law, they found salvation at Self-Help for the Elderly, which offers bilingual counseling and referral services. Now, the couple is finding happiness, independent of their children.
This week, staff writer Ji Hyun Lim examines the all too common problem of elderly abuse. Just as the public has stood up against child abuse, we now need to take a closer look at the problems of senior abuse — in order to find solutions and eliminate this heinous crime. |
