Wellfie Wednesday Tip #113: Cherish the Time with Older Adults

Happy Wellfie Wednesday! Welcome back! This week is brought to you by Patrick (@TheFuelPhysio). I want to highlight the importance of cherishing time with older adults, whether it be a family member, neighbor, or for me, patients. 

One of the awesome benefits of being a physical therapist working in nursing homes and assisted living facilities is my exposure to the wealth of knowledge carried by older adults. My favorite in particular are those individuals in their late 80s and 90s, boy do they have stories to tell. I love hearing how they grew up, found love, and dealt with the many challenges of life along the way; it really puts what is important in perspective. 

Many of them had a life of hard work and because of where I'm living, many them owned family farms, whether it be for livestock or even cotton, nonetheless they were always on the move. Aside from my patients, I have a rockstar of a neighbor! He is in his mid-90s and WWII vet. The guy was in the first wave of soldiers that stormed the beaches of NORMANDY! He was actually hit with a grenade that first night, spent 3 months at hospital in England, and than sent BACK to catch up with his infantry. The guy has 3 purple hearts and large collection of other metals, a true American Hero.

Though as a healthcare provider I'm always curious because of their age. I'll usually always ask my patients in their 90s and even those centenarians I've had the honor of meeting, "how did you make it this far?" And the general consensus has always been, they ate more fruits and vegetables, limited meats, always stayed active and worked into their 80s, had a purpose in life, and a relationship with God. But aside from the tips on how to live longer, it's their stories that tell me how to live a higher quality of life. 

Thanks for all of the support, be sure to post your pictures this week and tag the WW crew members in your post (@TheFuelPhysio, @Eric_in_AmERICa, @AaronPerezPT, @DianaKlatt) and keep the wave of healthy change going!