Old age is no place for ‘sissies’

For 61-year-old Laurene Dietrich, surviving old age takes stamina, persistence – and a little bit of humour.

The Warrnambool resident (pictured) has created a project which challenges growing older in a society which can sometimes overlook the wrinkled and grey haired.

Ms Dietrich is now campaigning across Victoria, photographing older Australians proudly holding the project’s slogan, ‘Old age is no place for sissies’.

Her campaigning has even taken her to local aged care facilities where residents have jumped on board to support her quest to prove – simply put – that old age takes guts.

Participants are also invited to answer a questionnaire which asks them about their passions and greatest achievements.

“Many people think older people aren’t passionate about anything… like they’re just shells of themselves. Many people don’t acknowledge older people’s lifetime achievements. They just think, ‘you’re old and feeble… you probably didn’t do anything in your life’,” she tells DPS News.

A memorable response from the questionnaire comes from Ms Dietrich’s 78-year-old mother whose greatest achievement was buying her own house and living independently after her husband passed away.

The passionate visual artist went back to study art at the age of 59. Her projects have since been central to old age.

No stranger to the signs of ageing, Ms Dietrich says her body started to slow down due to arthritis in her neck and spine. While she has learnt to “work around” the physical pain growing older may sometimes bring, Ms Dietrich believes old age isn’t for the faint-hearted.

“It can be really hard work… there are challenges. Overcoming the physical and financial woes of growing old is something which requires people to have a lot of incentive and persistence,” she says.

Despite the strength needed to embrace ageing as a normal part of life, Ms Dietrich believes a little laughter can also go a long way.

“You can have humour at any age. One of the things I’ve seen while doing this project is old people can have fantastic sense of humours,” she says. “You can have a discussion pretty much about anything if you use humour; it’s a fantastic weapon in your arsenal.”

But no matter how much positivity an older person has as they age, Ms Dietrich believes Australia’s attitude to seniors needs to be evaluated.

“We don’t live in a society where old people are actually looked after and given a position in society… their contributions go out the window.

“People need to realise that no matter what age you are, people can be depressed, happy; they can appreciate their friends, laugh, cry and be content. I just get spun out by people acting as though old people don’t have the same sort of feelings.”

Meeting and greeting older Australians has given Ms Dietrich the opportunity to reflect on her own perceptions of ageing.

“I hope to retain a good sense of humour and to be able to manage the pain I know I’m going to have. I want to be treated with respect and compassion. I want other people to understand that I’m capable.”

Do you agree old age is no place for sissies? If so, contact Ms Dietrich at laurenedietrich@hotmail.com to participate in her campaign to change the perception of ageing.