I Need to be Treated with Dignity and Respect

Part 2 of "These Are My Needs As A Resident"

I need to be taken seriously. I need to know that what I say matters. I need to be treated courteously, not to be talked down to, as if I am a child. I need privacy sometimes, to be left alone when I feel like it. I’ve lived alone for years, being responsible for myself, and I am not used to your schedules, which have now become my own. I need you to treat me like I am important to you, not a burden, and that I have value-even if I am old and seem helpless at times. I need to see it in your eyes and smile, so I can remember to believe it myself.