Nicknames for Senior Body Parts

No doubt you can come up with a few nicknames of your own.

Shared, with permission, by Elaine M. Decker, social artist and columnist

I recently heard that Shonda Rhimes coined the word “vajayjay” as a nickname for a female body part because network censors wouldn’t let her use the anatomical label in scripts for her hit TV show, Grey’s Anatomy. Then I caught The View’s Rosie Perez using “hooha,” also a popular nickname for… well, you know. It occurred to me that seniors and those caring for the elderly need alternative names for certain body parts, ailments and medical devices. The ones whose real names somewhat awkwardly describe… well, you know that, too. 

I’ve put together a starter list for all of us. The official names are shown first, then the slang. I’ve also provided a sentence or two using the nickname and/or elaborating on it. I hope you find these colorful terms useful in your conversations with family, friends and physicians.

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Thresholds, Stairs and Memory Loss

Guest post by Elaine M. Decker, social artist and columnist

If you’re the caregiver for a senior loved one, you’ve probably noticed that memory loss is becoming a problem. They’ll frequently forget where they’re headed when they go from one room to another. Retirees face the same issue. You might think this is because retirees and seniors spend more time in their homes. Turns out, there’s a scientific reason for this memory gap.

The University of Notre Dame published a study some years ago that has only now come to my attention. The author is Professor Gabriel Radvansky, and his ND webpage tells us his research “is aimed at understanding… how younger and older adults differ on their use of mental models.” I’m sure this is a fascinating field, but I’m mostly interested in his paper: “Walking through doorways causes forgetting.”

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Retirement Health Care – Privacy vs. Accessibility

Elaine Decker, Author

An excerpt from Elaine Decker's hilarious new book...

Retirement Sparks: Reigniting the Passion for Life - Irreverent Observations on Retirement

Given the litany of health issues I’ve had over the years, I appreciate the benefits of having all my medical information accessible to all the health care providers who might ever need to treat me. But what I read in the fine print in the pamphlet made my hair stand on end. Mice type always makes me skeptical. Seeing more than two paragraphs of it sets off alarm bells. This pamphlet has seven. Be sure to read the fine print in any pamphlets that you’re given that urge you to share normally private health information.

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Retirement Quandries—Donut Holes and Paper Trails

An excerpt from Elaine Decker's hilarious new book...
Retirement Sparks: Reigniting the Passion for Life - Irreverent Observations on Retirement

Irreverent Observations on Retirement

Those who are retired or who are caregivers for a retiree will likely relate to the saga from one of my semi-annual checkups. It was the first time I used my insurance since I’d turned 65. I presented my Medicare card, but could not find the one for my supplemental coverage. I rooted through a rubber-banded stack of cards an inch thick. Bank card, AAA, two AARP, countless membership and contact cards, a variety of appointment paperwork as far ahead as next summer. But no United Health card.

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