Older Americans Month 2012

May is Older Americans Month, a perfect opportunity to show our appreciation for the older adults in our community.  Since 1963, we have honored this annual commemoration — a proud tradition that shows our nation’s commitment to celebrating the contributions and achievements of older Americans.

The theme for Older Americans Month 2012 — Never Too Old to Play! — puts a spotlight on the importance of older adults sharing their experience, wisdom, and understanding with younger generations in a variety of ways.  At LIFE ElderCare, this sharing is what sustains our four direct service programs each and every day.

By delivering meals, older adults in their 60’s form close ties with people in their 80’s and 90’s.  Home schooling moms and other parents volunteer with their children.  As a Friendly Visitor, young people experience face-to-face conversation and hear real life stories from their elders on the rich historical heritage and events of our country.

The rides to doctor appointments by VIP Rides volunteers help frail, isolated seniors stay connected to health care and medication.  And, through our partnerships with Unitek College and California State University, East Bay, LVN and RN nursing students provide ongoing assessment, assistance and education about fall prevention, blood pressure monitoring, exercise and the importance of staying active.

There are always stories in the news about the dire consequences ahead as our country adjusts to a rapidly aging population.  What we need to hear more about are the adaptations people are making to cope with these changes.  While it is true that aging does present challenges, it is also true that older Americans are finding ways to thrive by simply taking advantage of the resources available in their community.

LIFE ElderCare currently has over 400 volunteers who have made an inter-generational commitment to healthy aging in the Tri-City area.  Make your commitment to Older Americans Month by signing up to join them or visit our website to learn more about community-supported elder care.

 

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LIFE ElderCare helps Tri-City residents navigate their way through the unpredictable passages of aging.

Bernie Thien, Gloria Gaisford and Mary Anderson

On May 24, 2010, Woodmen of the World, a fraternal benefit organization and insurance company, donated $500 to LIFE ElderCare’s Friendly Visitors program.  Gloria Gaisford presented the check to Bernie Thien, Program Coordinator and Mary Anderson, Executive Director, at the LIFE ElderCare office in Fremont, CA.

Gaisford has been a volunteer with the Friendly Visitors program for the past 10 years and is an active member of the Woodmen of the World Lodge.   She and her husband Ray visited homebound seniors together for many years, but after he fell ill, she continued as a Friendly Visitor on her own. “The six years that Ray and I spent visiting a frail elderly woman named Martha helped prepare both of us for what we would face when he suffered a stoke in 2003.”

During her husband’s illness, Gaisford found LIFE ElderCare’s Fall Prevention program to be a great help and comfort.  The program assisted the couple with the installation of grab bars and a shower chair in the bathroom, as well as a wheelchair ramp for entry into the house from the garage.  For over two years the program also provided weekly visits from student nurses at Unitek College that helped her husband with his mobility and gave her invaluable training on how to care for him as his illness progressed.

“Most people never think about the prospect of becoming ill and not being able to care for themselves,” says Anderson.  “Our programs give healthy people a way to be involved in the process of aging as a volunteer and, when the times comes, to have a compassionate volunteer care for them in return.”

Gaisford was recently paired with Enis, a 93-year-old woman who lives in the Niles district of Fremont.  “I told Bernie, get me a girlfriend I can have fun with,” she said.  So far they have taken in a few plays and are looking forward to building a great friendship.

If your company or organization is looking for a way to contribute to healthy aging in the Tri-City area please give Mary Anderson a call at 510-574-2091.  To become a Friendly Visitor, call Bernie Thien at 510-574-2097.

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