The One-Word Resolution in 2018
It’s Hard to Make New Year’s Resolutions Stick
Why not, then, try a different tactic? There are plenty of ways to instigate positive change.
Enter a fresh and constructive approach I personally have found to work wonders: the word of the year.
The word of the year concept is pretty straightforward. Rather than drawing up a full-blown manifesto on how you’ll change everything from your weight to your family conflicts in the coming year, you simply pick one word to serve as a guiding force in your life.
After all, success comes from clarity. This is a mantra my colleagues at LivHOME and I believe in deeply, and live by. Setting a word of the year helps maintain clarity around your choices and actions. When there is a quandary, it helps to recenter you and guide you down the right path.
For this reason, I find the word of the year approach especially appropriate for families facing senior care issues and professionals working with elderly clients.
One Word in 2018 Can Make a Huge Impact for Seniors
There’s no doubt, caring for an aging parent brings quandaries. So, too, does working with elderly clients. Thus I propose putting a slight spin on the “word of the year” approach, adapting it specifically to these challenges by asking yourself:
“What would my word of the year be when it comes to my relationship with my elderly clients or aging loved ones?”
Choose a word that honors their journey of aging, a word that you can fall back on in difficult times to remember where your clear path to success with your elderly clients or loved ones lies.
Words of the Year from Our Geriatric Care Managers
It might feel daunting to select a word of the year, particularly one that you hope will guide interactions with individuals you care about. So I’ve put together some examples of words the geriatric care managers I work with have chosen for the coming New Year:
With, not for. “With” is a deceptively simple word that can make a potentially tremendous impact. When we see those we care about or work with struggling, it’s a natural response to reach out, help, and take whatever steps possible for them to make things better. While the underlying intentions are good with elderly people, especially those in compromised physical or mental states, it’s far healthier and more constructive to take steps that will empower them with a sense of collaboration and partnership. Instead of following your natural inclination to address problems that arise for your aging clients or loved ones, tackle as much as you can with them.
Engaged. Maybe you’ve seen “engagement” thrown around as a corporate buzzword, but its core meaning is an invaluable anchor when interacting with the elderly. We’re all guilty of zoning out during conversations, pushing our own agendas, or dismissing others as “out of touch” or “irrelevant” when faced with disagreement. Instead, turn towards your aging client or loved one. Make a point of truly listening to them. Don’t let an interaction go by where you don’t learn or grow from what they’ve communicated. Really bring your whole self to the relationship, allowing each positive comment or expression of doubt, fear or discomfort from your client or loved one sink in meaningfully.
Honor. Sometimes the aging process takes away certain levels of capacity, both mental and physical. If your client or loved one isn’t capable of making their own decisions or carrying out their own tasks, be sure to honor them. Take some time to really think through what they would want, not what you think is best. Honor and protect who they are as an individual and how they would want things done.
Feel free to use one of our words or choose one of your own. The important part is: stick to it. Keep the word at the front of your mind in all interactions with the elderly.
And remember, you don’t need to tackle the new year on your own. Lean on family members or Aging Life Care professionals to make this coming year smooth for yourself and those you care for or serve.
What word of the year are you choosing for 2018? Tell us below!
Originally published at www.livhome.com on December 27, 2017.
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