How To Improve An Elder’s Confidence

The last time my friends and me met for a cup of tea at my friend’s the favorite topic of everyone was the decreasing self confidence of our elders who felt very secure of themselves a few years back. The declining of their mental and physical faculties were making them feel they are worthless, making us feel that after all aging was a very physically and mentally exhaustive process. We felt we had to do our bit to make these seniors feel at peace in the last years of life.

Here are a few tips by which we can make elders feel confident:

1) Most elders must have retired after carrying on a very useful time; they may have done various great things in their life and must have contributed well towards our upbringing, but may be now feeling they have no purpose in their life. We could do our bit to make these elders feel confident and wanted by going to them for advice; they would really appreciate it, feel useful and enjoy this interaction. We, as their children should appreciate and respect them that in spite of their attitudes today. Elders are the experienced members of society and need to be treated as such.

2) Elders could have mental shortcomings with age; wanting an elder to have confidence means that we should not remind elders of their mental shortcomings. Also never pinpoint their shortcoming like lapses of memory and not being able to focus properly. All this means you care for their confidence and self-esteem.

3) Most elders become like children when they grow older and may feel humiliated and embarrassed on certain issues like diapers. It is fortunate if you do not make to old age without them. So never refer to these issues or use some other word like ‘guard’ to refer to diapers. Also never judge them when it comes to humiliating issues as this.

4) Lastly resist the temptation to help them out with everything or refer to it; allow them to be self reliant and confident to handle everything. This will make them feel worthy and will increase their confidence in doing things.   

All these steps will help your elders to live with dignity and they would appreciate you for it.

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