Why do some elderly people become SO cranky?
Senior citizens have a lower threshhold for annoyance. The things that annoy someone when they are 30 (unruly screaming kids, boomcars, thoughtless cellphone shouters) become doubly so at 60. Seniors stubbornly apply a higher standard for behavior than younger people. They become irritated at the rudeness and sloppy work typical of so many younger people. They are baffled that younger people seem to have so little common sense. To a senior citizen, a sensible, polite, industrious younger person seems like a miracle.
Society has different expectations for seniors. Seniors should quietly blend into the background and not make waves. When a senior makes a fuss, it seems like they are really acting up, being a pain in the ass. When a younger person acts cranky, they are being assertive, standing up for their rights.
Seniors don’t deserve a pass, however. The best way to deal with them is don’t take it personally when you encounter a show of crankiness. Smile and be patient, just like you would with a younger cranky person. Or, lash out with your own angry blast. It’s up to you.
If it’s any consolation, it’s no fun being a cranky senior.
There are probably as many younger folks out there that are cranky as there are the elderly. My dad is now 85 and is a very sweet man. He is also a very sick man as well. He can’t get around any more like he did even a year ago. He does good to walk from inside the house to outside to his chair. My mom on the other hand, is a very cranky woman to say the least. She is a very negative woman. She has had a stroke and was left partly paralyzed on the left side. She does get around a lot better than dad does but yet she is so cranky. I just learned to deal with it the best that I can. When she gets in her cranky mood, I talk briefly about what she is cranky about and then change the subject to something better as fast as I can, just to get her in a better mood. Even my own 24 year old daughter is cranky. Now I THINK I know why she is cranky, just not sure. But on my mom, I simple think it is because she can’t do the things that she use to do and also the fact that it does take her a lot lo
Because every muscle and joint in their bodies hurt! This is not a funny answer. It is the truth! And not every elderly person is cranky. So, that means there are many, many elderly people in constant pain who still have the courage and fortitude to put on a brave smile. Please remember that the next time you have impatience or harsh words for our elderly citizens.
