Cabin Fever

In my business as a Senior Move Manager and in my work as a Geriatric Care Manager, I often see people who are biding their time in a darkened room with worn furniture, sitting wordlessly in front of a television set, wondering, every so often, what time it is, as they look forward to the next TV program or their next meal.  

Today, I visited a "younger" senior; a man in his 60's with a PhD in a scientific field, trapped in his body by an advanced case of Parkinson's Disease.  He sat in a chair where his head slumped downward, no matter how many times I helped move him back to a sitting position. 

His clothes were slightly soiled, his hair greasy and disheveled, his eyes had trouble focusing.  He sat in a room with three much older women, one of whom repeatedly asked for the time.  Not a pretty scene.  Yet, when I talked to this man about the UFO meetings he used to attend, his eyes brightened.  Then he leaned closer to me and whispered  "I have cabin fever.  Can we go to the Korean restaurant next week?"  

The next time you feel bored or angry or slightly ill with something temporary, give thanks that you can walk outside, take a breath of fresh air, make a phone call to a friend or read a good book.  There are so many people hidden away inside stuffy rooms who would give anything for the freedom of choice you have every day.