Take for example hand grip. Generally people in their sixties deal with declining hand strength; mine started during my early twenties. It was then that I started dropping the phone when it rang. Clunk clunk, (in the caller’s ear) “Oops! Sorry about that …” all before the conversation began. Unless I paid close attention and actually watched my fingers while they reach open to grasp the receiver, the gripping process fell apart. A finger or two would curl too much or not open enough to let me get my hand around the handle. Serious attention was paid to “hot” coffee cups after a few good burns.

The real clencher (no pun intended) is writing. Holding a pen for any length of time causes pain and terrible cramping. Writing a simple shopping list is a feat in of itself. Cheque writing, filling out forms or writing notes are avoided whenever possible. 

It’s easy to spot the tell-tale signs after the fact. Complaining, avoiding, or just plain not doing things are all options whenever challenges come up, but getting inventive keeps your mind sharp. After that fails, I usually try out a gadget that at first glance I avoided. Each time I do this, I regret having wasted time by resisting.

Why is it so hard to use ‘things’ that actually help?
Resisting seems natural.

The answer of course has to do with king sized egos. In defense however, who would aspire to use things like button hooks, sock guards, walkers or wear under garment ‘protection’? No one wants to think of themselves as failing, ailing, or aging and using devices reminds us of our eventual decline. It seems to me we’ve confused “less able” with “less alive”. Once the initial barrier of resisting falls away I found the process of dealing with periodic declining abilities improved.  Just a bit of trying here and there and slowly a different way of thinking comes about. Using gadgets is centered on functions, any other explanation is simply make-believe, like a story. A story we conjure up about ourselves. I'm not too young, I’m too old, neither is correct, I’m simply someone who does buttons up with a gadget. End of story.