We live in a Senior Complex. It is not a “Senior Care” facility but more like a resort. We rent an apartment and have a variety of activities. There is a small theater, gym, pool, restaurant, and bar. Our apartment is cleaned once a week and serviced if there are any problems. We are happy here, enjoy our new friends and believe our move here was appropriate. But here is the question.
Does living with and among aging people speed up the aging process? This is hitting us on an almost daily basis. The people we have befriended, meaning more than a “hello” and a nod of familiarity, are aging in front of us, and I must believe we are aging in front of them. One day they are here, and the next, they are gone. People fall, are taken to emergency rooms, have hospital stays, or must move to a Senior Care facility (which we are not) and die. That’s the way it is.
So, my question is a serious one. Does living with people, who are aging as we are, hasten our demise? Is it possible that this environment of aging people contributes to the aging process itself? The power of environment is undeniable. In this case, it has nothing to do with leadership or management. It is about our influence on each other. Does our shared aging grow like a virus in a confined space, becoming more powerful over time? It is a question that isn’t easily dismissed. If so, are we helpless? I don’t think so, and I will address the topic of helplessness in another essay.
Sy
