Memories of Our Heroes

Course overview

OBJECTIVES At the completion of this tutorial students will be able to: 1.Discuss the importance of understanding that our elderly clients have many Heroes. 2.Describe why our elderlies’ “War Stories” are real to them. 3.Describe the reason these experiences may need to be spoken about with our clients. 4.Discuss the importance of knowing what our clients have gone through in their lives. 5.Discuss phrases to encourage them to talk about their experiences with heroes. INTRODUCTION Heroes are important in every person’s life. When we think of heroes, we think of those people who have gone “above and beyond” the call of duty. This means any person who helps others more than just what the job requires. We’ve heard it said that everyone can be a hero. There are always stories on the news of “everyday heroes”. The elderly has more heroes than anyone else, usually just because they have lived longer and encountered more incidents that produce heroes. We all have some “hero” that we love, or would love to meet, or would love to be. The phrase, “We are all heroes in our own way,” can be said about every one of us. We may not have gone through a “life and death” experience, but we have all helped and performed that extra task because of love, respect, or our own personal code of ethics that tells us to do that task for someone special. DEFINITIONS Hero: The dictionary defines hero as: a person of distinguished courage or ability, admired for their brave deeds and noble qualities. Also, a person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal. Heroism: can be defined as someone who is willingly able to risk their life to help and save someone else or someone they know or never met. It takes an enormous level of courage and bravery. PTSD: Post-traumatic Stress Disorder develops after a terrifying ordeal that involved physical harm or the threat of physical harm. It is a disorder that creates repeated feelings of trauma, even after the event and when the person is no longer in harm’s way. OUR HEROES We must always remember those who gave all (their lives) as well as those who gave some! Many of our clients have served in the armed forces at some level, or “kept the home fires burning” while their loved spouse went off to fight the American enemy. Their stories are varied, but they will always remember the feelings they experienced. The mind vividly remembers what gives us the most feeling and fright, loss of a loved one, or extreme grief all serve to put the memory firmly in their minds. Some elderly people experienced the concentration camps of Germany. They chose to try to forget those memories, but we’ve all heard stories of the “heroes” of those days. Some have had their lives saved by fellow prisoners, or even guards that they consider heroes. Others have gone through frightening atrocities and still remained hopeful and loving. The prisoner of war camps of all wars have created horrible memories for many of our elderly. The way we care for our elderly clients may enrich their lives. What makes some people remember everything about a stressful situation while others seem to take these bad situations in stride? Even though they may not express their discomfort with a situation, they may still feel it subconsciously. Does this make them heroes? Or do they just suppress these feelings? Some would argue that they are heroes. Verbalizing feelings is very therapeutic for anyone so it is important to encourage the elderly to express themselves by sharing their past experiences. Showing genuine interest in their stories will encourge them and boost their confidence. Looking at memorabilia they may have saved such as old pictures, letters, and medals can be very rewarding. Not only will you learn something, but you will show them respect and help them communicate their feelings.