I am going to take this week to tell you about a personal mission that I have set out on within my own family. We are not very far into this semester concentrating on geriatrics and it hasn't taken much reading in the textbook or many class discussions to confirm what I already knew - that my own parents are not where they need to be. My dad retired 4 years ago and my mom has not worked since my siblings and I were young. My dad is a social person and that need was met through his work. Since he retired, he and my mom have not made (in my opinion) a successful retirement transition and it makes extremely sad. They live in a very rural area and don't seek out any outside activities. They stay at home and take care of the basics of IADL's for the house and yard but the only outings are to the grocery store, bank, and doctor's office. They are only in their sixties but their mindsets and behaviors depict a much older age. I am very concerned about this situation because I know there is so much more for them to be experiencing in life and that is becoming even more apparent to me through my studies in OT. I make small comments here and there about them needing to "get out" more but they get very uncomfortable and change the subject quickly. After we made plans for our service learning project in one of my classes I could see clearly the steps I needed to take to help my parents get out of their "rut". I think just making general statements like "you guys need to get out more" is not effective. But if I could present actual actions to take, maybe they would be less overwhelmed by the whole thing. What I have done so far is contact resources in their area. I called Social Services and local nursing homes to see what volunteer opportunities might exist. I left my phone number so they could call me if they came across an elderly person in the community who needed a ride to the doctor or something of that nature. My parents are very kind, generous people and I feel if given a specific person in need, they might act. I also discovered there's a senior center nearby with loads of activities that might appeal to them such as horseshoes, crochet class, computer classes, etc. I am having a staff member mail me their newsletter and schedule for June. I don't know how effective my efforts will be as my mother and I have already gotten into one argument about it. I am going to really tone it down a bit in my conversations with them and try to be more stealthy in my attempts like mailing the newsletter to my mom so she doesn't feel as though she is being put on the spot. Perhaps some of you have had a similar position and may have some advice for me? Below are some links to the resources I tapped into in my parents' community. I know they are of no direct use to any of you but it maps out the course I've taken so far in case any of you ever need to take similar measures. http://www.northamptonnc.com/socialserv.asp Social Services
http://www.ncdhhs.gov/aging/services/scoper.htm Senior Center
http://www.northamptonnc.com/health.asp Health Department (Office on Aging, Meals on Wheels, etc.)
http://britthaven.com/index.jsp?sec=NC&city=Jackson,%20NC Nursing Home (contacted Activities Director)
http://www.linkingseniors.com/senior_center/sc_northcarolina.htm Listing of NC Senior Centers