Act your age, not your shoe size

I generally pride myself on being a laid-back person. So it surprises many people that I actually, very much, do not like being told what to do. Is this the middle child in me? My siblings might say yes. But who doesn’t want agency over their own lives? This is one of the biggest challenges seniors face as they start to age, that slowly, the world begins to make assumptions, and then very quickly, makes decisions for them. Some of this stems from the healthcare system and filters down to the families. I’m certain I’ve been guilty of making assumptions about older people myself. And yes, certain decisions must be made by families in order to ensure their loved ones remain healthy and safe. But mostly, older people are adults and deserve to be treated as such. They deserve to socialize, and have hobbies, entertain friends, and even have a drink at the end of the day, gosh darnit! What I find that people don’t understand is that not only should seniors be able to do what t