I’ve heard of community service around senior citizens, and providing company to nursing home patients or services to frail seniors living on their own. This except, however. is from a NYTimes article in the health section on “age appropriate” senior companions, just one of the many ways seniors and baby boomers are finding to continue to have a social network, and to stay in their homes later in life…
On Mondays, Mr. Antsy visits with a woman living in his subsidized senior apartment building; she uses an oxygen tank and rarely goes out, so she appreciates having company.
On Wednesdays, he spends a few hours with a man who has Parkinson’s disease, which provides a break for the man’s caregiving wife. “It gives her time to go out with her sister and get her hair done, have lunch, do some shopping,” Mr. Antsy explained.
No clients on Thursday, but “that’s fine and dandy, to have a day off.” Mr. Antsy, who volunteers about 20 hours a week with the Senior Companions program at Hawkeye Community College in Waterloo, can use a break himself now and then. He’s 78.
About 13,600 such Senior Companions participants — all older adults themselves — served nearly 61,000 clients last year. The volunteers must be at least 55, but more than 40 percent are, like Mr. Antsy, over 75.
Posted By: Rebecca Cohousing Collaborative, blog editor
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