Primary Education Topic:
Aging in Community
Other Education Topics:
Caregiving
Health & Wellness
Technology, Accessibility & Transportation
Asking for help enables autonomy and control—as long as it is on the elder’s terms.
By Meika Loe
When I met Elizabeth, a former teacher and Navy WAVE veteran, she was in her late 80s and living alone in a suburban neighborhood in New York. Elizabeth didn’t love to ask for help. In fact, she made it known to children and friends that she wanted to be independent until the end.
During Hurricane Irene, Elizabeth went to check her flooded basement and drowned. Her neighbor found her a few days later.