Did you ever break your ankle, hurt your shoulder, or strain your back? Suddenly, one small part of your body becomes central to every movement until it heals. Getting out of bed changes. Showering changes. The way you move through your home changes. Life can shift in an instant, and when it does, autonomy becomes fragile.
As we age, some life events occur fast and without warning, while at other times, change creeps in slowly until one day the jam jar is suddenly impossible to open.
Working alongside seniors daily, we see how quickly autonomy can change, without a plan, a world shrinks quickly. A person who has lived a rich life can find themselves quite fragile in a moment when they need help with a task.
Agency can shift. Emotions shift.
With International Seniors Day approaching on October 1, it’s time to rethink and plan for these moments that happen in life, no matter the age. Aging is not a crisis or failure. It’s not a taboo to be avoided. It’s a universal experience (if we are lucky enough to experience it), and we can navigate it with far more compassion, clarity, and courage.
Here are three ways to help plan for aging.
Share your wishes before a crisis happens
What if that broken ankle had been a brain injury instead? Who can step up to help you? Who would help you with physical tasks, pay bills, or act as a sounding board? Who is part of your village? These conversations are gifts to you and the people who love you.
Inform them of your wishes for life, your care, and even your celebration of life. With a trusted few, share where you keep your legal documents, and update those documents as you go through different seasons of life. These conversations are better had when there is no crisis on hand. Sharing your wishes and keeping your legal documents current is a beautiful gift to offer yourself and the village that supports you.
Adapt your living space more frequently
Every doorknob, faucet, light switch, doorsill, or step plays a big role in daily safety. Your living space should support your daily movements with ease, or it can slowly become a trap. Accessibility is not just for people with walkers or wheelchairs. Living with ease is in the little details. Adapt your space as you go so that you always feel safe and secure where you are. Adjust your living space before it becomes urgent. Little things like a grab bar or better lighting can preserve independence in powerful ways.
Talk openly about aging
As you read this, and as I wrote it, we both slightly aged together. The more we talk about it, there is less fear and shame, and we remain empowered in our own lives. We are all aging, so let’s talk about it at every turn. When we share our vision and keep conversations open, aging becomes less about loss and more about evolution. Make it happen.
Life is not a straight line. It bends, pivots, and surprises us. If we avoid digging in our heels at what life serves up and instead meet change with flexibility, courage, and a deep breath, something beautiful happens: it can help keep that twinkle in our eyes alive – trust me, I see it all the time. It is possible.
By sharing our wishes, updating our legal documents, listening to our intuition when it says ‘I need a better living set-up right now,’ and speaking openly with our friends and families, we can design a flexible, dignified plan for aging. We can replace taboo with empowerment.
Happy International Seniors Day to you no matter how old you are! Let’s celebrate not just longevity, but agency. May we keep dancing as we adapt and adjust to our current needs and new realities while we age alongside each other.
To help mark this day, Time Flies, eight illustrations from Grandma’s Place, are on exhibit, through the event Verdun à l’avant scene, at the Bibliothèque Jacqueline de Repentigny, 5955 Bannantyne in Verdun, from September 24 to October 11.