Mobility in the senior citizen years
My
walking is much slower and more deliberate than it used to be. My Meniere’s and
Parkinson’s disease have much to do with it. I walk with a cane primarily for
balance, especially if I’m out of the house and going somewhere. Even when I’m
walking with my wife, I use a cane. I wouldn’t say I liked it initially, but I
got used to mobility aids. Sometimes, you must do what you must do.
Going
up and down steps can be tricky as well. We don’t have many steps in the house.
We live on a split level, and it's only seven steps to get upstairs. I had
fallen those seven steps and got bruised, but luckily, I didn’t break anything.
The key is always to be alert and keep one hand on the railing.
Not
everyone gets as immobile as I do. My sister and her husband are regular Blue Ridge Mountain hikers older than me. I don’t think I’ll be
hitching on any trails soon, but you never know.
You have
to be careful.
I
stopped driving about four years ago. It got to the point where I was scared to
get behind the wheel. You don’t want to be on the road if you have a Meniere's
attack. I’ve had it a couple of times in the past, and it's no fun. If there
was an emergency, I’m sure I could drive, but my wife does all the driving now.
My
mother was 88 when she had a fatal heart attack at home. She was driving up to
that day seeing a good friend of hers. So, it depends on the person. My
grandfather was 94 when he died and had his license taken away at 90. Most of
the family was relieved when that happened.
Of
course, with senior citizen awareness at an all-time high, local governments
offer more ways to get around on buses.
And there is always Uber.
Best
David
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