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The 8 Areas of Life – Fulfillment is the 6th Area
- Robyn Pearson
- Jul 30
- 8 min read
One by one, we are covering the 8 Areas of Life in greater detail. It’s the premise that when each area is considered and developed well, that all of life seems to work a little easier for our aging loved one and for ourselves, the family caregiver.
The 6th Area of Life is Fulfillment.
Does that surprise you?
Compared to the other areas so far: Health, Safety, Activity and Engagement, you might think the feeling of Fulfillment is not as important. Perhaps you feel it is more of a “nice to have” quality that comes later when everything settles down.
Let’s take the broad concept of Fulfillment to be something more pointed –the feeling a person gets after contributing to something of perceived importance. It is about your loved one and their contribution. It is less about the perceived size of contribution, or even what it was, and more about its significance. That is what feels good! Significance is what provides Fulfillment!
Caregiving to an aging loved one, as you know is a busy role with lots of details (so many details!) to manage. Ongoing decisions to weigh and act on, fluctuating emotions, all the while riding an unpredictable wave of change that affects your loved one’s life. All if it takes time!
I get it and remind yourself that you ARE doing great!
So then, imagine the point of view of your loved one. Depending on their circumstances, you know they have all sorts of feelings, worries and concerns about a lot of things. Afterall, not that long ago, they were the directors of their life’s fulfillment. But now, things are different. Maybe opportunities to feel fulfilled are few and far between.
Let’s turn the tables, think of what is important to you. Those things you care about and participate in that make a difference for someone else, that make you feel really great! How would it feel if you stepped away from them indefinitely? Would you feel a gap in your routine, even a hole in how you feel – like something was off or gone altogether? It wouldn’t feel very good.
Ask yourself, at what age does a person no longer have the need to contribute to something or help someone? No longer needing Fulfillment? I hope the answer is never!
So then, we will give you some ideas, tips, stories and suggestions so you can be inspired and your aging loved one can have more opportunities to feel Fulfillment in their life again.
The benefits will compound in all other areas! You and your loved one can meet in the middle and feel satisfying Fulfillment – this 6th Area of Life.
If you haven’t already read them, here are all our past blog posts:
Statistics Worth Knowing
Fulfillment from Purpose Helps Protect Brain Health
A study of 11,557 adults aged 50+ found that having a stronger sense of purpose was associated with better cognitive functioning and protection against cognitive decline as people aged.
Source: Kim et al. (2019), American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry: Purpose in Life Protects Against Cognitive Decline Among Older Adults.
Fulfillment From Maintaining Purpose Slows Cognitive Decline
Research involving nearly 10,000 adults aged 65 and older found that individuals who maintained higher levels of purpose experienced slower declines in cognitive ability over time, suggesting that meaningful engagement remains important throughout later life.
Source: Friedman et al. (2025), The Journals of Gerontology: Sustained Purpose in Life is Associated With Slower Cognitive Decline in Older Adults.
Tips To Help You
Does your aging loved one feel that they still matter and can positively affect someone or something around them?
When the answer is "yes," fulfillment is felt. When the answer is "no," feelings of boredom, loneliness, withdrawal, and loss of purpose frequently emerge.
What Creates Fulfillment for Older Adults?
Fulfillment rarely comes from being entertained. More often it comes from:
Helping another person
Sharing knowledge or wisdom
Teaching a skill
Caring for a plant, pet, or project
Welcoming new residents (in care community OR residential community)
Writing cards or letters
Participating in decisions
Having responsibilities, however small
Being recognized for their contributions
A fulfilled senior talks about what they contribute. An unfulfilled senior talks mainly about how time passes.
If you would like to chat about how your aging loved one’s situation and what you want for them, please learn more at www.getafriendindeed.com
Tips You Can Act On
Your aging loved one is bored and feeling unfulfilled. What can you do?
A tip to try is bring in something from their past to your next visit. I am talking about a physical item that may or may not be convenient for you. Bring it in for them. Let me explain…
My mom was a great seamstress. When I was little, she made beautiful clothes for us and always looked after the mending as it was needed. Her trusty, old black (and still working to this day!) Singer sewing machine was a constant in her life. Fast forward to when she moved to a care facility, there was no space for it.
I had a bright idea about two or so years later. I had been reminiscing about mom and her sewing projects. I was also thinking about when I was a teenager and how teens ask their moms for things. So that inspired me to pack up my sewing machine (hers was out at my sister’s place) in a box along with the items needed and my son’s work pants that desperately needed mending –a simple stitching of a seam.
I knocked on her door and said “Mom! I need some help!”
I unboxed the machine and showed her the pants. “Can you help me please?” I said mimicking a voice from my teen years.
Boy, could she!
She had me thread the machine and get it ready for her. Then, I watched her craftmanship at work. Her concentration, skillful hands along with coordination of foot on the pedal, I watched her work with precision and ease. Like riding a bike, muscle memory and ingrained knowledge, she did not miss a step at all!
I got to witness a glimpse of my childhood right before my eyes. Watching her, hearing the sound of the machine whirling, and then, the satisfaction and fulfillment of a job well done as she folded up the pants and handed them back to me.
“Here you are.”
“Thank you, Mom!”
Fulfillment of helping out! What a gift to give and to receive! What an opportunity for her to have!
What could you create for your aging loved one?
I double-dog dare ya! Let me know how it goes!
A Resource For You
How to find opportunities that create feelings of Fulfillment for your aging loved ones?
It starts with thinking about who they are. Knowing what is meaningful to them What do they feel is important and worthwhile?
Think back to earlier times in their lives as well for clues and ideas. How did they spend their time and what did they consider useful or productive? Where did they get a sense of accomplishment from?
You can jot down these questions and your answers in a notebook or capture them in an app. Now talk with your loved one and see if your answers match theirs. If they don’t match, then add them in too. This can be an opportunity to talk with them to learn more about their answers.
If your aging loved one has limited communication and talking it out is not available to you, then either talk with someone else who is close or use your best guesses.
With the information you gather, you will have insights into possibilities for creative activities and ideas to bring to your loved one!
The activity itself is less important than the feeling of contribution and significance it creates.
Sometimes, looking back is the springboard to a more Fulfilling future!
A Friend Indeed seeks out these important details that are, for whatever reason, no longer in your loved one’s life currently. We come to our visits with ideas of how we can bring back, even if just the essence of them, into your loved one’s life currently.
A Story Worth Telling
Years ago, I was honored to have weekly visits with a wonderful lady, in her eighties, who lived alone in her condo. She ended up in hospital after experiencing a stroke and then went into rehabilitation to recover. When she progressed well enough there, she was sent home. They asked that she continue to do her exercises so that she could continue improvement of rebuilding her speech and the use of her hand muscles and coordination.
Anyone who has been given instructions and exercises to do at home knows that half the battle is doing them regularly. She was no different.
However, what she did have was a Friend!
This meant she had a regularly scheduled cheerleader –her Friend, who came to her! Together she did it! Her practice was done repeatedly and consistently, each session (and at times each repetition) was an achievement worth celebrating!
In no time at all, her ability to speak and express herself was back –along with renewed confidence!
Her ability to sign her name to the thank you cards she wanted to send out to the dear people who visited her in hospital was restored.
These are such fulfilling achievements indeed! It made such a big difference for her!
Quotes Worth Sharing
“Sometimes our light goes out but is blown again into instant flame by an encounter with another human being.” — Albert Schweitzer
“The more we care for the happiness of others, the greater is our own sense of well-being.” — The Dalai Lama
“Life is not primarily a quest for pleasure, but a quest for meaning.” — Viktor E. Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning
A Testimonial
I first heard of Robyn and A Friend Indeed about 10ish years ago when my mother-in-law moved to a Seniors Residence in Airdrie. Robyn is a very pleasant person who we enjoyed meeting and watching how easily she engaged with the residents. Fast forward to 2021, at which time my MiL had been living with my husband and I since early 2019. We had home care coming in while we worked and that allowed us to spend time caring for her and enjoying day to day life with her and our sons' families while we were home.
As my MiL's care needs increased, we felt that a fresh set of eyes and ears would be beneficial to us all. We hired A Friend Indeed for weekly visits and it was successful beyond what we expected.
Each visit day was a special day for getting ready for “company” and brought out her social/hostess side and even on bad days her “Friend” always brought light to her day and encouraged laughs and conversation. My MiL would be more relaxed and sleep well those evenings following a visit!
In mid 2022 we moved her to the brand-new Airdrie Care Community as her needs were leaving us with interrupted nights and we needed to find more help. A Friend Indeed made the transition with us and that little bit of familiarity gave her real joy when her “Friend” visited or took her for outings.
In all the years we were involved with A Friend Indeed only two regular people visited with my MiL, which we loved as the relationship was truly genuine for all. The occasional time a fill in was needed, for holiday coverage for example, that was never a problem.
A very big Thank You! Robyn and staff for being a wonderful support for my MiL and us during her last years. Very much appreciated.
-- Darrell & Susan, son & daughter-in-law
A Compliment To The Care Giver
Here is a shout out for all the family caregivers of aging loved ones! Wow! Just look at all you do!
It is to be celebrated! Woo Hoo!
The big things and –most importantly— all the little things!
Everything you do helps to make your aging loved one feel a little better, do a little better and be a little more comfortable.
If you haven’t heard it in a while –THANK YOU! You are pretty great! 😊
What Would It Be?
If you had a Magic Wand? And had ONE WISH that would help your aging loved one to FEEL MORE FULFILLED in their day currently, something SUPER GREAT that would light them up…
What would you wish for?
Write it in the comments and see what other families wish for. Could it be the same thing or something different?
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