Fourteen months ago I honestly did not even know what Rotary was! Now I am a proud member of Roswell Rotary, a group of wonderful people that literally live the Rotary mantra of “service above self.”
A great example of just that took place last week. I serve on the senior committee at Rotary and we orchestrated a senior education session which took place on March 22nd. The event was focused on providing older adults with information on the many resources available to people as they age. There really are a lot and the space continues to grow…think senior move specialists…tech training for seniors, etc. Interestingly, however, many seniors are unaware of what’s out there.
So why is this quickly growing business sector largely unknown to many seniors? Simple…no one wants to admit they need help. Losing one’s independence is a very hard “pill” to swallow and engaging senior resources (to many folks) means the beginning of the end. Truth is, a little advance planning can change one’s aging forecast significantly and make the inevitable much more palatable overall. As my good friend and our Care Coordinator #Lynn Ross told me, there are two kinds of planning in the senior space. Advance and crisis. We hope to get as many families as possible to be in the advance category. Advance planning means choices. Crisis planning, not-so-much!
We had an all-star cast at the event last week and I was humbled to act as master of ceremonies. The Roswell Rotary Senior committee was great pulling it all together and thanks to the 14 senor care professionals that gave their time to help educate a large group of older adults. Sectors represented included (but were not limited to):
- Senior living options
- Hospice
- Home care
- Eldercare law
- Long term care insurance
- Community resources and support groups
- Day-to-day money management
- Occupational therapy
- Alternatives to traditional healthcare
- Senior-focused moving services/downsizing
Happy learning!
Adam