The Savvy Senior
By Robert Goodman, MSW
Make Your Mark
May is designated as Older Americans Month. The theme for this year is Make Your Mark. The Administration for Community Living selected this theme to encourage and celebrate countless contributions that older adults make to our communities. “Their time, experience, and talents benefit family, peers, and neighbors every day. Communities, organizations, and individuals of all ages are also making their marks. This year’s theme highlights the difference everyone can make in the lives of older adults, in support of caregivers, and to strengthen communities.”
Residents of Century Village make their mark on the community every day. We have many residents who have accomplished great things in their lives. Our residents volunteer their time and energy to help coordinate activities and events. Whether as an association president, director, COBRUA delegate or a building social president. They run classes, work at the clubhouse, or volunteer at their houses of worship or local hospitals. Many institutions could not survive without volunteers, whether it be food pantries, cultural institutions or museums.
We have people in their 80s and 90s who are active adults. They go the gym, work in the community and continue to make their mark each day. Volunteers help run my health fairs and the CarFit program. Some of my 90 year-old plus volunteers have more energy than residents in their 60s and 70s. We Care was staffed by volunteers for over 30 years.
We must applaud our caregivers who tirelessly and patiently take care of a loved one. Family caregivers and employed caregivers make their mark every day in helping to maintain the independence of so many seniors and their spouses.
One thing I like to remind people of during Older Americans Month is the need to improve their independent living skills. As a social worker, I have noticed too often how many men and women are ill prepared to lead a single life after many years of marriage.
It is important for men and women to be able to take care of family finances in the event of the death of a spouse. I have noticed over the years that many men do not know how to cook, shop, do laundry or clean house. It is easy to say that you can hire someone to do some of these tasks, but that gets expensive. I remember running a cooking class for men at my senior center in New York.
Being able to do these tasks shows your children your ability to be independent and it also improves your self-esteem. It is not easy to adjust to the death of a loved one after so many years of marriage, but having the skills to be independent can make the adjustment a little easier.
Let us take time in May to celebrate the volunteers, caregivers and independent older adults who are active and make their mark by improving their community every day.