SOAPBOX: Elderly don't need pity, but company would be nice

WITH frail, shaking arms the man pushed his wheelchair, inch by inch, down the hallway.

While home care services are available on the Coast, moving into a nursing home doesn’t have to be the end of the world. Picture: Contributed

WITH frail, shaking arms the man pushed his wheelchair, inch by inch, down the hallway.

With each trepid movement forward the chair squeaked as if in protest.

He paused, wheezing from the effort.

It's hard to imagine this man was once the star of the local cricket team.

But while his once athletic body may have failed him, his fighting spirit remains.

The 15-metre journey from his stark, sterile room to the breakfast table is the last bit of independence he has in the nursing home.

It is easy to think his life has been reduced to nothing, but that could not be farther from the truth.

This man has lived a full life - a life full of family, friends and love. He worked hard for money and was passionate about his hometown.

For him, each day is fuelled by a Pandora's Box of memories.

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The last thing he wants is your pity.

He just wants someone to talk to.

On a recent trip to visit my beautiful nanna in the nursing home, I was saddened to walk past room after room of lonely souls.

It made my heart ache.

My nanna is one of the lucky ones.

Each day, twice a day, my selfless grandad visits her with a smile, a kiss and a kind word.

Other residents are lucky to get a visitor once a week.

While it's easy to get caught up on the hectic merry-go-round of life, I think it's important to spend time with our friends and family whose lives are no longer spinning around.

While their bodies have slowed they are still the same people on the inside.

And they would love nothing more than your company.

Originally published as SOAPBOX: Elderly don't need pity, but company would be nice