More and more baby boomers are retiring only to find that their retirement income is not what they expected! Oh! With the economy in recession and competition for jobs so high, they cannot find supplemental employment when they need it. Perhaps one of the most important challenges for our communities is learning how to harness these active and healthy seniors to help those who may require minimal support in our community. However, there are options for those who are willing to share their good health, mobility, and desire to be active even if they have “retired.” The ‘independent elderly’ population can stay in their homes longer and live happier lives if early retirees in good health are willing to spend some time sharing activities of daily living, eg cooking, simple housework like washing clothes. , driving, for those older people who may need help to carry out these activities. The latest statistics show that the average assisted living resident is an 84-year-old woman, who only requires assistance with two to four activities. This type of person is considered low to moderate dependency. These people would rather live in their own homes than in an assisted living facility. Home gives them a sense of freedom, comfort, and emotional well-being by being surrounded by the things that give them pleasure and hold memories for a lifetime.
A recently divorced woman, who had no retirement other than social security benefits, filled that position. She offered companionship to those families who are currently caring for an older loved one who may not be able to be left alone. She comes to their house during the day and prepares a delicious lunch for them, plays cards with them, takes them shopping if they wish, and then makes sure they have enough food in the kitchen to allow them healthy snacks in the evening when she it goes. You will also spend the night with a loved one while the family takes a short vacation if the loved one is unable or unwilling to travel. This gives the family peace of mind, knowing that their loved one is being well cared for in their absence and also allows the elderly the comfort of their loved surroundings. This is simply a win-win situation.
At one point, Japan was considering an insurance plan that would allow citizens in good health to care for neighbors who were elderly and did not have family members living close enough to provide support. They would “bank” the home care hours with the central bank (insurance plan) that they could use in the future, either for themselves or for a loved one, who might live too far away to be able to provide daily care. These stored home hours could be traded for themselves in the future or now for a loved one elsewhere. This seemed like an excellent method to consider with our current economy that forces people to move to find employment, often leaving family members behind. Caregivers, who are related to the elderly, are often depressed due to the role reversal they may experience in caring for their aging parents. This situation can be alleviated if the caregiver is not a family member.
Many scholars say that if we are to be successful in caring for our baby boomers in the future, we will have to make some changes in housing and healthcare. I think this is a challenge for our communities. It becomes increasingly critical as our population ages. We should start thinking about community development with an emphasis on homes, parks and schools for families, allowing multigenerational activities. Elders can be key volunteers to improve the life of a community.
The bottom line (and the intangible benefit) is that we must recognize the “give and take” of all parts of society. Anyone who has spent time caring for an elderly friend or family member recognizes that they receive much more than they give in the relationship. Everyone benefits when the elderly can fully integrate into a caring and caring society.