{"id":3484,"date":"2023-03-29T06:00:58","date_gmt":"2023-03-29T09:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nolanoreen.com\/staging\/9835\/?p=3484"},"modified":"2023-05-06T06:43:14","modified_gmt":"2023-05-06T09:43:14","slug":"letters-from-a-nursing-home-administrator-do-it-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nolanoreen.com\/staging\/9835\/letters-from-a-nursing-home-administrator-do-it-now\/","title":{"rendered":"Do it Now! (Letters from a Nursing Home Administrator)"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_5,3_5,1_5″ _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_5″ _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Aguafina Script||||||||” text_font_size=”30px” text_letter_spacing=”4px” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

Dear friends,<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_5″ _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_5,3_5,1_5″ _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_5″ _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

At the age of 50 I became the first-time administrator of a 100-bed nursing home in a rural Canadian community. It was, and continues to be, the most meaningful work I have done in my life.<\/p>\n

Fifty is the age when, no matter how optimistic you are (and I can assure you that I am the queen of optimism!), you have to acknowledge that you are at least half-way through life and quite likely more than half-way to the date of your eternal demise.<\/p>\n

Like many people my age, I am giving serious though to the last half of my life. What do I want to do with the time I\u2019ve got left? How do I age successfully, and what does successful aging even mean?<\/p>\n

Working with seniors has highlighted so many things to me. I have seen what a life well-lived looks like, and how lives squandered have turned out. Every day I observe individuals aging with grace – or not.<\/p>\n

Do it now!<\/strong><\/p>\n

The first thing I can tell you with certainty is that your last half of life will be unpredictable. Very unpredictable.<\/p>\n

Imagine my shock when I met my first resident who was only a few years older than me. It has been just as shocking to celebrate birthdays with centenarians and to hear about all the changes they have lived through, and continue to live through!<\/p>\n

If you have things you want to do in life, no matter what your age , now is the time to start prioritizing and making those things happen.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_5″ _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_divider _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”PT Serif||||||||” text_font_size=”23px” min_height=”75.8px” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

You are never too young to start living your \u201cretirement\u201d dreams and you are never too old to try anything!<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_5,3_5,1_5″ _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”6px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_5″ _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t just hollow advice. I\u2019ve been following it myself. Like many people I had always felt that the time and money weren\u2019t available, and that spending more time on my passions in life was something that would come later, probably in retirement.<\/p>\n

Since beginning to work in a nursing home I\u2019ve done a complete 360 on this line of thinking and I do not regret it. For example, some passions I have started to embrace are:<\/p>\n