Link to article in InsightNews.com
Guest Column by Deb Taylor
In the closing months of his Presidency, John F. Kennedy designated May as Senior Citizens Month, later to be renamed Older Americans Month. In 1963, only 17 million Americans were 65 or older.
Today, more than 45 million seniors live and work among us, and that number will only grow as the 78-million members of the baby boom generation continue to age. The boomers started turning 65 in 2011 and ever since the demand for senior services has increased.
Ahead, there are challenges as we enable older adults and caregivers to take charge of their lives, to take steps to ensure independence, and to enjoy a full life of meaning for as long as possible. It’s what we all want, right?
At Senior Community Services, we place a priority on remaining engaged. Loneliness and isolation are caustic to the spirit and in time can lead to depression and physical health problems. That’s why the seniors centers we operate, thanks to the help of many volunteers, are so important. They provide socialization opportunities for seniors to come together for fellowship, enjoy a meal, take in a ball game, play cards, visit a museum or take a drive through the countryside. As one senior told me, “Looking back, I was so lonely and sad. Coming to my local senior center changed my life, and extended the quality years I still have.” Comments like this motivate us to do even more for the older adults among us.
That’s one way we help Minnesotan’s Reimagine Aging, bringing the proper mix of resources around the senior (and their caregiver) to help them enjoy a higher quality of life.
Our Household and Outdoor Maintenance for Elderly (HOME) program is another example. HOME provides low cost services to help seniors live independently in their own homes. The program mobilizes big-hearted people – volunteers and trusted professionals – to provide affordable home maintenance and chore services.
This network of reliable workers and volunteers provide indoor and outdoor chore services to residents ages 60 and older in many of the suburban communities of Hennepin County. Similar programs exist across the state.
And by visiting seniorcommunity.org, you can order chore services for a loved one. As spring unfolds, the need for help with yard cleanup, window-washing, lawn mowing, and painting is growing.
Eleanor, 80, loves her cozy suburban home, but she once worried her days of independence might be ending. Eleanor struggled to keep up with household tasks like window-washing, minor repairs, raking leaves and snow shoveling. Daughter LeeAnn did some research and discovered the HOME program.
Soon, a group of enthusiastic young volunteers from a local church arrived to help with spring cleaning and yard work. And an affordable handyman fixed a loose downspout on her roof.
Eleanor is content again, free of worry. “Thanks to Senior Community Services, I can continue to live in my own home. I’m so grateful for all they do.”
And daughter LeeAnn is grateful for the respite. Working full-time, she struggled to manage caregiving duties and household chores at her mother’s home. “After awhile, you can run out of steam,” she says. “Senior Community Services’ volunteers and staff are partners with us and the result is so much better than what I could do on my own.”
That’s what feels good when we Reimagine Aging – life’s made better.
Deb Taylor is CEO of Senior Community Services (www.seniorcommunity.org) and its Reimagine Aging Institute, a nonprofit that advocates for older adults and helps seniors and caregivers maintain their independence through free or low-cost services.
