1676 Graynyms

I wrote not long ago about the challenges we face when caring for our elder parents. We love our parents. And we have great respect for them raising us. So it's difficult as we find ourselves shepherding them in their mental decline. Trying to keep them safe and engaged and yet trying to carry on with our own lives.
And we're having to develop a whole new vocabulary to deal with it. Instead of neologisms they're paleologisms or graynyms.
I've talked with other folks who care for their dementia-disabled parents and we've come to the same conclusion. It's extraordinarily fatiguing, anticipating and protecting for all the dangers of obstacles, stairs, and mood swings they're likely to trip over.
I've decided that fatigue comes from "thinking for two." Like they say pregnant women are eating for two. Eldercaregivers are thinking for two.
Which also involves motivating for two. Elders often get overtaken by a desire to do nothing but eat and sleep. And use the bathroom of course. They've reached the age where doing anything seems absolutely futile and not worth the effort. You don't see a lot of 85-year-olds taking out a mortgage. Or even jumping in the Sweet Sixteen pool.
So you have to use additional energy to combat "elder ennui."
Then there's the forgetfulness. I've talked about how instead of daycare centers we should have "graycare centers." With the relearning and the reminding we need to do with our elders, maybe instead of pre-schools we should have "re-schools."
Or arrange a playdate for them for stimulation, a "graydate," with a "gray pal" instead of a play pal.
Lastly, they often act like they're 85 going on 2, so they could be called "doddlers" rather than toddlers. But they also act like rebellious teenagers, possibly because they're senile. Perhaps "seenagers"?
Sorry, that fatigue-for-two is kicking in.
Obviously, my own mental decline is well underway...
America, ya gotta love it.