It is so easy for us to say our role has reversed and we are now parenting our parents. I’ve heard it many times “It’s like I’m taking care of a child”. Yes, in some ways taking care of a senior is like taking care of a child. Many individuals taking care of their parents must bathe, feed and dress their parents much like taking care of a child. However, they are not children. We disrespect, dishonor and damage their already fragile dignity when we refer to them in this way. Let me explain.
When taking care of parents feels like taking care of children
What we think quickly becomes how we act. If we begin to equate our parents care with that of children, we begin to think of them as children. It doesn’t take long before we start treating them like children. We tell them where to go, what to eat, when to go to bed and when to rise. In some case, these things are necessary but keep in mind they are not children. They are adults with childlike needs. Equating them to children is demeaning and damaging to their dignity. It doesn’t matter if they are cognitive of their surroundings or your behavior. They are still made in the likeness of God, in His image. He breathed life into them and most importantly God calls us to honor our parents.
‘Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, that your days may be prolonged and that it may go well with you on the land which the Lord your God gives you.
Deuteronomy 5:16
This commandment doesn’t come with an expiration date or a “but if” clause in case of illness. It does not say “until they cannot think for themselves”. It does not have an age limit. Our role only gets greater as we serve our parents with gratitude and humbleness.
Human life is sacred from conception to death because God ordained it to be so. Each client is a unique, precious person. I get to know clients and their situation with a personal consultation. When working with a senior I consider their wants and desires in developing a plan to meet their needs. Personal strengths take precedence over weaknesses. I honor them like they are my own parents.
