Do the elderly or police need to trained about their encounters?

Today I think we have a heck of a topic to think about. I think we should think about it and read good interventions before they happen in our lives. They will happen if we live old enough.
Do the elderly need to be trained in their encounters with the police?
Looking for picture of older people attacking others only revealed the younger abusing the elder. But older people do strike out. Police are summoned and encounter older people being harmed or harming others. Maybe they are doing something that breaks the law. Abuse of the elderly is a problem, but it is not at all one sided.
With my cerebral palsy I find it more challenging to put on shoes and joint mobility. To get on the ground is a major effort. If I was arrested having my hands tied behind the back getting in and out of a car would be difficult. What I am describing will be a challenge to those you live into their 70’s to 90’s and beyond. When we are older we may get to frail to be handled like we could when we are younger.
A few years back I had a discussion with teens on how they should respond to police. Most teens never really are given information about this. A teen, cop encounter can quickly progress to an ugly, dangerous situation.
Paula Span writes an article, Another Possible Indignity of Age: Arrest for the New York Times where she shares several encounters the elderly have had with police. The link for the article is below.
Older people can be very difficult to deal with. They can be easily injured, frail, fall and be combative as well. These issues are not just for police but family and care takers as well. Old people can strike out and hurt others.

This is not going to end well, but what can we learn?

Fourteen years ago in the baseball playoffs a classic baseball fight occurs. Pictures tell us the problem of engaging the elderly the wrong way. Don Zimmer coach for the Yankees charges out like he always would of done. He is angry at Pedro Martinez. The difference now is he is 72 years old in far less shape to boot. Pedro throws him down and Zimmer is cut and pulled a groin muscle and is taken to the hospital after the game. Nothing can be undone. There is not a redo. But we can learn from the incident. Nobody is ejected in the fight, but everybody knew you don't win throwing down an old man. But what would you do if Zimmer came after you? At my age and condition I am in Zimmer's situation. Tables do turn.
It is fair to let you know what I did. Right or wrong I learned from it. When I was in my early 20’s I

There are consequences if we choose to fight when we are
older.  Sometimes we have no choice. I still have the fire
to do silly things like Zimmer did here. What can I learn? 

was caring for a farmer who was 85. The man was suffering from depression. I knelt down to communicate with him in a gentle way. I was asking what I could do for the old gent when out of the blue with the speed of Ali facing Patterson, the old farmer hits me with a straight right jab sitting in a wheel chair. He hit me square on the nose and soon my nose is gushing with blood everywhere.  I told my mates to continue the intervention and I walked way stunned and unsure if I could continue without blowing my stack.
The farmer was unharmed which I was glad for. His depression was deep and later it was decided he would have to undergo electro shock treatments. For many of them I was assigned to assist in them and help him through it. He took a series of treatments over the next few weeks. His resolve about suicide was broken and mood improved. Shock treatments are not used as often today, but they are still an option when other treatments have failed.
I was determined to work with him because of the hitting incident and He was a nice enough guy. I never approached him from the side again. In talking to him he gave me a line I have used for years. I have asked him, “How you doing Mike?” and he would answer right on cue, “Fair to midland”.

Even though she is smaller and maybe weaker she wins with
a gentle affirmative response.

The old farmer assaulted me, he was frustrated and angry for being in the hospital against his wishes. He just wanted to commit suicide. I was part of a team of medical people who were trying to stop him. I had to step away for practical and emotional issues. We were all laughing about it later. If I hauled off and hit him that would have indicated the worse on my part. No, I learned from the incident and became more aware. I learned to help people on their worse days and had the confidence that we will get through this and we will be all right.
Generally speaking, people with dementia will pick up on anger around them, a lauder voice of care giver that is frustrated and the sufferer of dementia will strike out in anger. Never more truer a line of Scripture, “A gentle answer turns away anger, but a harsh word stirs up wrath.” Prov. 15:1
With dementia and mental illness it is probable the police are the ones who will need to be trained with older people. They have parents, grandparents, they would want care for them. I believe the people in blue want to feel better about how they intervene with older people. Police often meet people on their worse day.
Still many older people still have awareness. Following police instructions and not escalating the situation is good. Communication of current disabilities and problems may also help police handle with care. But if the elderly are a danger to themselves or others, than police need tactics that would be more helpful and safer for the elderly and themselves. Training, reviewing past incidents would probably yield much helpful information.
It is just another factor that aging isn’t easy. Keep walking
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/21/health/older-americans-arrests.html?_r=0

Perspective about a walk in the zoo with children

We went to Brookfield zoo earlier this week and weather was gorgeous. We had such a good time. I especially like the zoo in the later afternoon when most people have left the park. I have been of the opinion for years that Brookfield needs to change its layout. The park has a lot more room to redesign to give it to the animals habitats that could be created for grazing animals like you see at the San Diego zoos or Animal Kingdom, Bush Gardens. Other exhibits could be given a little more space in the park would to create walking on a Safari. Interest would pick up because animals would be in view all the time. I think the upgrade would give the zoo new life an increase in attendance.

Zoos are always a lot of fun when you bring your grandchildren. Two of my grandkids are in preschool age. In light of the tragedy that happen in Cincinnati and not too long ago in San Francisco. Zoos give us a view of some pretty large animals. In the wild snakes, mosquitoes, elephants, hippos, bears, tigers, lions, crocodiles to name a few all over hundred people a year in the wild. There're fewer deaths with the animals in captivity, but they do happen. 

Why we were at Brookfield, we walked by the tiger exhibit and the tiger was walking and prowling, we can see this magnificent animal in motion. Most of our visits the big cat sleeps. But I looked at the moat and fence and wondered if the animal had significant enough motivation could the tiger bound over the barrier? I was glad I did not have any young teenagers taunting the tiger.

How high do the fences have to be? We may lose a beautiful view.

I am probably overprotective with my children and grandchildren, but they do run. The little suckers are really fast. At the zoo children explore as well. I have to admit I am more concerned about the human predator. While we were at the zoo I noticed a lot of school groups and I remembered my own experiences watching mentally challenged children exploring the zoo. I was glad I did not have that responsibility anymore. 

I noticed the fence was raised at the Cincinnati zoo since the gorilla was killed. As zoos are built they have to be built to keep people out of the exhibits and keep animals in. But there is a balance between barriers and ability to see the animals clearly. 

When we are at the zoo there is a difference between preschool children, elementary children, and teenagers. From all reports the parents of the child was in the gorilla area were good people. Something happened between their watchful eye and the child climbing over the fence. What happened may help all us be safer? The zoo has now built a little higher fence. Every zoo should take a walk-through and rethink each area for improvement.

Our kids exploring the world. They need to do it. We have withdrawn into a virtual world and our children do not know shortcuts through the neighborhood. They do not know their neighbors. They don't walk to school and experience the change of seasons where they have to dress appropriate to the weather. They don't know how to recognize danger for themselves. They're too protected, too pampered, they are not allowed imperfections, they may not even know what it means to overcome, to fight back. For a child to grow there has to be imagination, adventure, failure and struggle. We need both good and bad, sin and righteousness, sadness and laughter, sickness and health, life and death. For many of our children we avoid these things at all costs. Our kids need to learn what it is to save, how to do without, inventing their own games, in making do with around them. 

How will they survive the next depression? How can they cope with personal loss? How can they accept that they don't looked like a Hollywood star? How can they learn to play a game not being the fastest, or the strongest and never making it to the big show? 

Every time we go out the door there is a bit of uncertainty. I love to quote Bilbo Baggins as he says,“It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out of your door,” he used to say. “You step into the Road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there is no telling where you might be swept off to.”

So zoos have to rethink four-year-olds as well as parents. But that child has a desire to explore their world. We have a bigger problem with our children with predators, drug peddlers, bullies where we need to take back our streets with parents careful eyes who for a time leave their own virtual escape. Keep walking

facing perils of aging, God's love is constant

Billy Graham in his book nearing home: life, faith, and finishing well on page 87 he began talking about four Hidden perils as we get older. 

They are fear, anxiety and depression, anger, and loneliness. From his perspective at 92 when he wrote this its’ a pretty good list.

His appeal to move from over focusing our attention to our illness which has a way of making us self-centered to focus on Christ and get support from other believers is a good idea. Know the truth of God’s love through trials, sickness and even death is constant. God is there what ever our experience. Citing 2 Corinthians 12:10, “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 

The solid promise in Romans 8:35ff, 35 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

When I was in the mental hospital being treated for anxiety and depression I spent at least a half hour each night in prayer and Bible reading and I had a strong sense that God was with me. There were a lot of things that I was learning in the daytime. And there was work being done emotionally throughout the day. It was pretty similar to when I've being in the hospital recovering from surgery. Each day had its own unique way of healing and you do end up working with hospital staff as you heal. But in the same way there was a time of reflection and meditation and prayer. I find it helpful to focus on one truth time when your body is in chaos and healing. Keep it simple.

But each of our hidden perils may take some special care and treatment. Since 25% of us will be dealing with depression and anxiety as we age, we need to understand in the same way that we have problems with our heart, some part of our body, aches and pains, all kinds of sicknesses; we should not be surprised that mentally we have problems as well. Medicine can be a big help here.

Anxiety and depression and even anger can all be connected. And sometimes we just cannot deal with these things on our own. Consider putting a mental health professional on your medical team. 

Loneliness as well and be very real as we age. We all will lose people. Dealing with grief and experiencing loss is one of the major problems we face in life. We need to regularly make new friends and stay involved with the people we know for all these experiences. 

Dr. Graham's counsel to find ways to help others is one way to turn our tragedies into gems. Being sick can make us very self-centered. Part of it maybe God’s way to help us focus ourselves to heal. But there is a joy not just looking at your own interests but also the interests of others. Showing the love of Christ even in our illness can lift us up emotionally. 

We do have perils that we face when we get older. Sometimes it can be hard. Sometimes our focus needs to pay attention to it. But in the background of it God wants to teach us many things. It seems high on God's agenda his teaching us to forgive others and reach out to meet other needs even somewhat while we are selves for suffering. 

There is nothing wrong to focus our attention to the healing and care that we need. Mental health is more than just being considered crazy. It is really about practical ways to understand our brains as we age and take care of them when they need it. 

And always remember that nothing can help the brain more than good exercise, good food and plenty of water. Keep on walking.