6 Valuable Lessons About Life Working With Elderly People Has Taught Me
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

6 Valuable Lessons About Life Working With Elderly People Has Taught Me

I thought I knew a lot about life until I realized how many things I was missing out on by not truly living.

143
6 Valuable Lessons About Life Working With Elderly People Has Taught Me

I started working as a caregiver with the hope of gaining healthcare experience and eventually pursuing the path of becoming a Physician's Assistant. Working with older people has given me lots of great experience that I will use later in life. I knew that I would learn an abundance of skills necessary for my future life. However, I didn't expect to gain insight about life along the way.

During my time with my clients, they would share stories about their lives, the experiences that shaped them, and how they felt looking back at their lives. I have gained insight from my clients that has challenged me to reexamine what I consider important and how I should live life.

Out of all the lessons I've learned while working with elderly people, these are the 6 lessons that have been the most influential in my life.

Take Care of Yourself

You need to start prioritizing your health at a young age. Eat healthy, exercise, do something to relieve your stress, etc.

In this day and age, we have forgotten to take care of ourselves due to the fast-paced environment that our society demands. In the process, we have forgotten how to eat right, manage our stress, and prioritize sleep and self-care. The habits you build now will continue to follow you into your later stages of life.

When you age, it won't become any easier to start taking care of yourself. Live your healthiest life now so you can continue to fully enjoy your life.

Live in the Moment

Take in the people that surround you and everything that you are experiencing. One day your reality will completely change and you won't be surrounded by the same people and the same experiences.

So enjoy where you are RIGHT NOW. Don't think about the future and don't get hung up on your past. Appreciate everything you have right now and enjoy your life at this moment because one day your life will not be the same.

Family is Everything

This is something especially important to all the clients I have worked with. The truth is that friends, experiences, and the materialistic things you want now will one day fade away.

At the end of the day, the only thing that truly matters is your family. When your world changes and you can't experience the same things you once did, your family will be the most important thing you have.

So keep your relationships tight and tell the people who matter most to you that you love them. One day you won't be so career-focused and headstrong and you'll want to be surrounded by people who care about you.

Life is Short

Life flies by in the blink of an eye. Whenever I talk with my clients about their early lives, they are always astonished about how fast the years have gone by. My clients tell me stories about their childhood, how they fell in love, and so on.

As my life starts to change and I get closer to obtaining my college degree, I am realizing how fast life is. I have spent so much of my young life looking forward to the next part of life.

As a child, I couldn't wait to be in high school. In high school, I longed for independence and to leave my hometown for college. Now as a junior in college, I am realizing that along the way I forgot to enjoy where I was and just live.

With that being said, don't waste your time on people and things that aren't bringing you happiness. Our time is short so don't forget to live a life that brings you true happiness.

This brings me to my next point.

Don't Settle

This is something that I have especially struggled to keep in mind. I have put up with toxic relationships and experiences that haven't been meaningful for me.

When I started working with my older clients, I was amazed to see how many relationships had lasted so long. I also noticed that even though many of these relationships had lasted so long, both partners were still head over heels for each other after all those years together.

This made me start questioning myself. I began asking myself why I felt the need to keep people in my life who weren't adding to who I was, and why I was holding onto relationships that would never be long-lasting.

Don't settle for anything or anyone that isn't serving you. You are valuable and life is too short to jeopardize your happiness.

Your Life is What You Make of It

Not everything in life is gonna be easy. While working with many of my clients, I've heard tough stories about growing up, loss, and other painful experiences. You don't have a say in what you'll go through in life, but you have the ability to control how you will respond to the obstacles in your path.

Don't let the hard times hold you down. Allow your darkest days to be turning points where you become stronger and grow as a person.

We only get one life to live. Someday, when you look back at your life, you'll be proud of yourself for the struggles you endured and all the amazing moments you experienced along the way.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
the beatles
Wikipedia Commons

For as long as I can remember, I have been listening to The Beatles. Every year, my mom would appropriately blast “Birthday” on anyone’s birthday. I knew all of the words to “Back In The U.S.S.R” by the time I was 5 (Even though I had no idea what or where the U.S.S.R was). I grew up with John, Paul, George, and Ringo instead Justin, JC, Joey, Chris and Lance (I had to google N*SYNC to remember their names). The highlight of my short life was Paul McCartney in concert twice. I’m not someone to “fangirl” but those days I fangirled hard. The music of The Beatles has gotten me through everything. Their songs have brought me more joy, peace, and comfort. I can listen to them in any situation and find what I need. Here are the best lyrics from The Beatles for every and any occasion.

Keep Reading...Show less
Being Invisible The Best Super Power

The best superpower ever? Being invisible of course. Imagine just being able to go from seen to unseen on a dime. Who wouldn't want to have the opportunity to be invisible? Superman and Batman have nothing on being invisible with their superhero abilities. Here are some things that you could do while being invisible, because being invisible can benefit your social life too.

Keep Reading...Show less
houses under green sky
Photo by Alev Takil on Unsplash

Small towns certainly have their pros and cons. Many people who grow up in small towns find themselves counting the days until they get to escape their roots and plant new ones in bigger, "better" places. And that's fine. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought those same thoughts before too. We all have, but they say it's important to remember where you came from. When I think about where I come from, I can't help having an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for my roots. Being from a small town has taught me so many important lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

Keep Reading...Show less
​a woman sitting at a table having a coffee
nappy.co

I can't say "thank you" enough to express how grateful I am for you coming into my life. You have made such a huge impact on my life. I would not be the person I am today without you and I know that you will keep inspiring me to become an even better version of myself.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

94502
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments