Recently, both of my parents managed to end up in the hospital… flu and a broken bone. After a few days in the hospital they moved to a “rehab facility” to speed up their recovery before returning to their home. Luckily, both are making good progress and they should be able to return home soon.
Both of my parents (and myself) are most appreciative of the help and support they are receiving during this ordeal:
- wonderful support from my sister and from all of their friends
- expert care and assistance from staff at the hospital and the rehab facility
It takes a lot of attention and care to get someone back on their feet – this is probably even more the case if people are in their 80s and 90s, as my parents are.
While in the rehab facility, my parents are fortunate enough to be staying in the same room, which reduces some of the “discomfort’ that comes with being away from your home and your day to day routine.
Let’s face it, it’s hard for anyone to be away from home and even more so if it’s unexpected!
For the most part, both of them are also happy with the meals at the facility and all the other “stuff” that go with staying some place else. Occasionally, my mother will grumble a bit about all the physical and occupational therapy is has to do (but she is doing the work!).
However, there is one thing that bothers my mother – being called “Honey” by some of the staff. Even though she has told some of them repeatedly “my name is Franziska, not honey” some people still ignore it!
Regardless of how old somebody is, they still have a name and identity! So let’s be respectful and call them what they want to be called, it’s that simple!
I realize, that people don’t mean any harm when using the term “Honey, Sweetie, etc”. However, the person on the receiving end (mostly women, mind you) may not like it. Don’t make someone feel more vulnerable than they already do by calling them a generic honey.
When you address a person using their name, you indicate that you “see and hear” that person, that they count, that they are important and that they are not just a number on some list.
So let’s be mindful of these powerful nuances our words have when we talk to each other!
