Diana Cazier Shares: We All Need A Little Help Sometimes

Diana Cazier

            I heard a great story the other day.  There was a young boy visiting with his grandparents.  He was running around pretending to be an announcer.  He had a  “microphone” and was giving a play-by-play of what everyone was doing.  Coming to Grandma he said, “this is Grandma, she has a lovely hairdo”.  Turning to Grandpa he said, “this is Grandpa….he is old…..and nearly blind….and almost dead”.  His mom told him that was not very nice and he replied with an innocent look, “but it’s true”.  Some days, I’m sure, we feel a lot like Grandpa even though we would rather be like Grandma with the “lovely” hair.

            The “truth” may not be what we want to hear but I want to share one truth that I have come to learn.  No matter how self-sufficient we feel we are, there are times when we need help.  So many of us are so ready to give help at a moment’s notice but when it comes to asking for help we have a hard time doing it.  Sometimes with age or illness we may find ourselves in need of extra help.  That need may be for ourselves or for someone we care for.  A full-time caregiver may need a break; there are caregiver support groups and respite care offered through Mountainland Agency on Aging (801-229-3800) and other groups.

           When full time care is needed and you or your family are simply not able to give the full-time care necessary there are assisted living facilities available that can provide as much or as little assistance as needed.

            Home health services are available when there are specific health care needs.  When it is end-of-life care that is needed we can look to Hospice.

            The main focus of all of these services is making the most of what we are able to do with our lives, that we have the best quality of life possible as we age.

            Let’s not be reluctant to seek out help when needed, for us and for our loved ones.