Gen Y and the Nursing Home

Something caught me off guard today.

I was sitting in an old-fashioned diner with a group of precious elderly women to the left of me. They were telling stories from their youth and sharing desserts with one another. It was adorable.

 Then the unthinkable happened.

One of them said the S-word. 

Don’t get me wrong…cussing doesn’t usually appall me. But this woman was OLD. 

She was wearing a teddy bear cardigan and those little white, old-people shoes.

And she said the S-word! 

I grew up with grandparents who both worked in a nursing home. In fact, my grandfather still does. Because of this, I spent more time in a nursing home as a child than I did the nursery (maybe that is why I’m a little backwards). The point is, that is not the behavior I am used to seeing the elderly display.

When I think old, I think cute little songs and bingo. Not the S-word. That is something I expect to hear from a person my age.

Then I got to thinking…

What will nursing homes be like when MY generation gets there? 

Here are my thoughts: 

• A Starbucks and Suntan City will be on both wings of the building. 
  

• The Activities Room won’t be the Bingo spot, but instead be a room full of computers and TVs for Halo, Facebook, and Wii.

• The most risqué poster in the average patient’s room won’t be Elvis doing his hip thrust, but maybe Miley on her Wrecking Ball.

•  It will be the norm to see wrinkly, droopy ear lobes where gauges used to reside.

• “My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean” and “School Days” won’t be the go-to music selections. I think “Thrift Shop” or “Miss New Booty” will be amongst the top favorites. 

Basically, grandparents will no longer be counted on to instill morals in their grandchildren. In fact, we may not even be allowed to know our grandchildren.

Take Away: We have a lot of changes to make if we want to be cute when we are old. 

What else do you expect to see in a nursing home in 2075? Leave your thoughts!