Submitted by: Aaron Lutes, Director of Development, Victoria Village Inc.
Dear Victoria,
My mom is still living on her own and insists she is doing just fine. Lately, though, I have noticed little things that concern me. Nothing feels like a crisis mind you, but I think she may need some help. Where do I start?
This is exactly the kind of question that has inspired Dear Victoria.
Aging doesn’t come with an instruction manual. Families can suddenly find themselves navigating unfamiliar questions about health, finances, caregiving and independence — and sometimes, our situation leaves us wondering who to ask.
The good news is that you don’t need to solve everything all at once.
Start with a conversation.
Instead of beginning with what your mom can’t do, ask how things are going. Is anything becoming more difficult? What would make her day easier? Most importantly, what does she want?
And we should all become more comfortable asking for and accepting help ourselves. Needing a hand doesn’t necessarily mean giving up independence. Often, the right support helps us maintain it.
Look beyond the obvious physical needs, too. Someone may be managing the house and meals perfectly well but gradually becoming more isolated. Fewer outings, less social interaction or losing connections with friends and the community can be just as important to notice.
Sometimes the answer is practical help. Sometimes, it’s simply more connection.
And when you don’t know what comes next, ask.
That’s what we are going to strive to do with Dear Victoria: take real questions about aging and bring them to the people in Barrie who can help answer them.
Some questions are expected to be serious. Others will be surprisingly ordinary.
All of them are worth asking.
So, Barrie: What would you like to ask Victoria?
