Watching our Seniors Age Gracefully
By Carin Franey

    Watching our parents or grandparents go through the aging process can be quite difficult.  This includes if they don’t have the care they need, if you see them in discomfort or if they have lost the ability to help themselves.   Let’s face it, we don’t want to see our parents go through any of these things, so we try to do what we can in order to make their lives as comfortable as possible.  No one wants to see seniors suffer or not receive the care they need.  
    This is why it is so important to be involved in your parent’s life.  If they have to go in a nursing home, they will need many visitors to keep their spirits up.  I know, a nursing home is usually depressing, has a distinct smell and many of the other patients want you to stop and talk to them too.  But just imagine how your loved one feels in here.  They are not sure they will ever be able to go home again.  If you don’t visit, it gives them reason to think no one cares about them.  Then they become depressed.  Anyone that is depressed has a much tougher time of recovering.  
    So be sure to stop in and visit your Uncle, Dad or Mom.  Feeling like they are still a part of your life will give them hope and strength to carry on.  I know it is hard to see your loved ones become weak, sick or incapable of taking care of themselves, but try to remember all they did for you.  Don’t you think they deserve some dignity?
    Anyway, I have created this page in hopes to have more information available for Senior living.  Whether it is assistant living, nursing home or home care; you can find it here.  After doing an extensive search online for any information on nursing homes or assistant living in and around the Galesburg area, I realized there is very little information out there and I hope we can make your research easier as you try to help your loved one.