CONTACT: Pamela D. Wilson 888-393-7754

Email:   Inquiry_For_Pamela@pameladwilson.com

Golden, Colorado – July 29, 2019

The Caring Generation® Talk Radio My Parents are So Stubborn

Golden CO- Caregiving expert, Pamela D. Wilson hosts The Caring Generation radio program for caregivers and aging adults this Wednesday, July 31, 2019, on the Bold Brave Media Global Network. The program airs live at 9 p.m. EST. The Caring Generation® originally aired from 2009 to 2011 on 630 KHOW-AM in Denver, Colorado.

The caregiving topic for this week's program is "My Parents Are So Stubborn." When adult children become more involved in the lives of aging parents, differences of opinion become more evident. Adult children may view actions that aging parents view as normal as risky, careless, or inattentive.

Stubbornness results for a variety of reasons. Reasons include the desire to remain independent and in control of life. Aging parents want to be viewed as capable of managing the day to day activities. Aging parents don't want to ask for help.

Performing risky activities, while not a good idea, allows aging adults to feel like they are more in control and more capable than they or family members believe.  That is until an accident or event happens to change this perception.

Aging parents purposely hide or delay providing information. Withholding information happens when aging parents fail to mention information or events that occurred. This non-disclosure results from concerns about being judged or fear of adult children who want to take control. For example, forgetting to mention a car accident that resulted in vehicle damage. The child sees the car parked in the garage and begins asking questions.

According to Pamela, "Other common situations are aging parents who say, we are okay, everything is fine. In my family, this statement became less factual with time as the health of my mother began to fail. One of the last times I heard I'm fine. I returned home for a visit. Mom shared that she was diagnosed with bladder cancer. Everything was clearly not fine. My mother died about two months later."

While aging adults want to be viewed as independent and in control, self-perceptions can be faulty. There is a tendency to believe that daily abilities—including health— are better than believed.

An example of a faulty self-perception is when an aging parent says, "I don't want to go to the senior center because there are "old people" there." In reality, the seniors at the senior center are probably healthier and more physically active than the person making this statement.

Another often-heard proclamation is "I don't need a walker." Wonder why? Aging parents say that "only old people use walkers." No matter how old parents might be—they are not old.

Do you remember the peer groups in high school– the jocks, the cheerleaders, the brains? Aging has peer groups to which aging parents do or do not want to belong. Peer groups are common in assisted living communities. Aging adults don't want to sit with peers who use walkers or wheelchairs.

While the excuse may be that "those people are old and I don't use a walker or a wheelchair," fear exists about seeing what the future holds. If one gets close to another frailer person, the thought exists that they may be destined to use a walker or a wheelchair.

Joining The Caring Generation® radio program is a way for caregivers and aging adults to become comfortable talking about why parents are so stubborn.  Pamela's approach to caregiving is authentic and light-hearted. She believes that the serious subject of caregiving benefits from humor and laughter. 

Each week, Caring Generation® radio features a special guest. On July 31^st, the guest is Dr. Allison Heide. Allison Heid, Ph.D., is a trained gerontologist whose early career work considers issues related to providing ethical care to older adults and successful aging.

Dr. Heide has a Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies with specializations in Adult Development and Aging and Intervention Science. She has co-authored over 40 peer-reviewed articles on topics ranging from the assessment of values and preferences of older adults to understanding the impact of disasters on older adults in New Jersey. She currently serves as an Independent Research Consultant in Ardmore, Pennsylvania.

Make plans to join Pamela D. Wilson, caregiving expert and the host of The Caring Generation® radio at 6 p.m. Pacific, 7 p.m. Mountain, 8 p.m. Central, and 9 p.m. Eastern.  Share this information to support Pamela's goal of reaching one million caregivers worldwide who are looking for hope, help, and caregiving solutions.

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