Hi Lauraine, My favorite aunt was a special person. She lived with "a bad back," etc., for most of her 85+ years. But, she always told me that, as long as she could get out of bed, get dressed, and go - out the door, she was alive ! Unfortunately, about 6 years ago, she couldn't get out of bed, had had another Stroke, and ended up in a nursing home. She could no longer get dressed and go out the door, so she was no longer "alive." And I believe she "willed" herself to die less than a year later. I also had my late mother in a nursing home for a few years. She didn't mind so much living in a nursing home; it was the nurses and all they needed to do to her that she did mind. She wanted visitors - to keep her mind off of all the "not well" people sitting around her. What I noticed in my aunt's nursing home is: How many of the people there - "had a life" before they had to go live there. They might have been teachers, or even Principal at a school. They might have been bankers or lawyers. Maybe they were a parent of 10 children, or maybe they were a Foster parent. ETC. And visitors to the facility would never know. And, I'm not sure that their nurses would know. I mentioned this to the nurses one of the last times I visited there. Betty (near Lowell, MA, USA) (My aunt also suffered from "Pernicious Anemia" for 80 years. She had to have "a shot" every month for her entire life for it. Her mother's Adoptive mother died from Pernicious Anemia in 1899. That is one of the many hints I've found that show the Adoptive mother was probably the grandmother.) (Long, complicated story I've told on the Lists before.) ----- Original Message ----- From: <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 7:48 PM Subject: [CAN-USA-MIG] Visiting a Nursing Home > My late Dad spent two years in a nursing home. I visited almost every day > except for time spent in my summer place. There were a number of patients > who did not receive visitors and it was very sad. If you are close to a > care home facility, please consider visiting. If none of the resident > seem to be an area of your interest, many will have memories that are > broad based to lifestyles in earlier times. Some of the residents can > still play cards and most enjoy any kind of musical entertainment. > > For people who still have their wits, the lack of visitors and mental > stimulation definitely hastens their demise. If you even drop in for 10 > to 15 minutes and say hello, you will make many residents' day. A pat on > the arm to those who no longer seem to be aware will never go amiss. > > Lauraine > > >