National Grandparents Day 2017: Why Our Seniors Deserve Our Greatest Respect

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Did you know National Grandparents Day is just around the corner, on September 10, 2017? We have a LOT of grandparents at Concordia, whether they are in a retirement community, nursing home, personal care/assisted living facility or living at their own house and receiving in-home care. Some are biological grandparents, but many are “adopted” grandparents who have served that caring role for many people in their lives. And National Grandparents Day is for them as well. Make sure you take some time this week to celebrate accordingly!

Disclaimer: We know that not all grandparents are seniors, but we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to praise this world’s longest-tenured age group just the same!

Any time a resident at Concordia celebrates his/her 100th birthday, we send out a proclamation that always starts with the same line: “Our seniors deserve our greatest respect.” So we thought we would identify a few of the numerous traits exhibited by many seniors that make them so incredibly worthy of our admiration. Feel free to add more in the comments section below!

Wise & Experienced: No matter how much education one gets, there is no comparison to the wisdom that comes with 70+ years of experience on this earth. Seniors have lived through recessions and booms, war and compromise, the worst storms imaginable and long summers, loss and creation of life, failure and success… Who better than seniors to guide the younger generation on what to expect in most any situation life throws at us?

Thrifty & Generous: Older seniors spent their formative years during one of the most trying times in American history – The Great Depression. They understand, and have passed down to others, the importance of thriftiness, getting the most for your money and the difference between a need and a want. These are sentiments that are becoming as important as ever, as the U.S. deals with rising inflation, mounting student loan debt, starting salaries that are 20 percent lower than they were just a couple generations ago and more. But despite the frugality of some older seniors, according to Neilsen and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, those 65 and over are STILL one of the most generous groups when it comes to donating money to charity and volunteering.

Steadfast & Firm: Sometimes, seniors are picked on for being slower to accept a new technology or an evolving cultural norm. To do so, however, assumes that they, with their decades of experience, are just being stubborn – and that is simply untrue in many situations. Often, their reasons for resisting certain things are totally justified. Think about it: Perhaps a face-to-face or phone conversation with someone is more meaningful than messaging them through social media or sending a text. Maybe eating a balanced, natural diet is healthier than whatever passing fad weight-reduction plan is popular this month.

Patriotic & Honorable: Regardless of your political persuasions, it’s important to maintain a sense of pride in your country, and it’s hard to argue that a more patriotic and honorable age group exists than seniors. According to the 2012 U.S. Census brief, Veterans age 65 or older numbered in excess of 12.4 million.

Unique: Most people would agree that all Millenials get categorized together far too often, and that’s unfortunate. But it pales in comparison to how often all seniors are stereotyped into one chair-rocking, slow-driving, hard-candy-having group – and NOTHING could be further from the truth. Sure, we’ve listed a few common characteristics among many seniors, but they are just as diverse and individual as members of any other age group. If you need evidence of that, just visit a Concordia location sometime!

We hope that you’ll spend some time with your “grands” this coming week or at least give them a call to tell them how great they are!

If you have questions about Concordia or are interested in how we can help you and your loved one, please feel free to contact us any time via our online contact form or by calling our administrative headquarters at 724-352-1571. Or, visit the care levels & services page of our website to learn about the types of care we offer, including In-Home Care, Memory Care, Long-Term Nursing Care, Adult Day Services, Hospice Care and more.

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