Senior Care near Roseville, CA
Writing can be a wonderful senior care project, but few senior home services providers truly understand or appreciate how powerful writing can be. Even if they understand the value of writing, they may not be writers themselves and therefore might not know what advice to offer the elderly individual with regard to rules, technique, or strategies.
Below are five rules for writing that the senior care provider can use to help the individual not only get started, but to also believe in themselves and their ability to write.
Anyone who has written a letter, is literate, and can form basic sentences can write, if they want to. If the senior doesn’t have any desire to write, then they shouldn’t be forced to.
However, that being said, writing can be incredibly cathartic. It can offer an individual some insight into their emotions, their experiences, and it can even conjure up memories that had been long forgotten.
Now, five rules for writing as a senior care project.
- Right with the door closed.
This rule isn’t to be taken literally, but is in reference to the internal editor that we all have inside our mind. It is that editor that keeps telling us that what we wrote is not good enough. Always write the first draft with that door closed to the editor.
In other words, the senior shouldn’t worry about whether their words are good enough for anyone else.
- Write whatever comes to mind.
It can be hard to think of things to write about, so you can suggest they begin writing with a free-form process. Don’t worry about whether it is something they’re making up or something that they are remembering that they did in their youth. Anything they write is good.
- Don’t worry about the reader.
Writing is powerful mental exercise, but the senior doesn’t have to ever share what they write. It can be like a diary or journal of sorts if they want. Make sure that you and their family understand that it is private, unless they want to share it at some point in time.
- Write for however long you want.
Whether it is five minutes or five hours, the senior should be entitled to write for however long he or she feels like at that time. The average length of time that somebody who has never written before can sit down and write is usually between 20 to 40 minutes. If they go longer, great. If they go less, that’s great, too.
- Only invite the editor in if you feel like it.
Writing is about the process, the journey, and not really about the destination. Unless they are determined to publish their work, they don’t really have to go back and edit if they don’t want to. Editing can be troublesome for many people. You can bring it up to them, but if they don’t really want to go back and read what they wrote, that is their choice and it is perfectly fine.
These are just five rules for writing that you can rely on for senior care. There are many others, but we won’t get into the right now.
If you or an aging loved one needs senior care near Roseville, CA area, remember Senior Home Care Services for all services needed. Call us at (916) 514-7006 for more information.
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