RESOURCES, SUGGESTIONS, & OPPORTUNITIES FOR PLEDGE PARTNERS

Contributing time and  Service

Choose one of the following (or select your own):

 1.     Visiting nursing home residents suggested by RNSO, with or without one of the

         following

               a.  Music (as taught by the Music for Healing and Transition Program/MHTP)

               b.  Pet therapy

               c.  Reading

2.       Learning to play the harp in preparation for service to seniors.

3.       Studying with the Music for Healing and Transition Program in preparation for service to seniors.

4.       Visiting in nursing homes as a volunteer through the County Ombudsman Program.

5.       Visiting or caring for a relative or friend or someone referred to you by another organization or person.  (If you are the primary caregiver, rather than visiting someone else, your task will be to draw in or receive someone to visit your care receiver.)

6.       Being part of a Care Team to support a home-bound individual or nursing home resident and his/her family caregiver.

7.       Providing service other than visiting isolated elders, such as:

               a. Knitting prayer shawls

          b. Providing secretarial, administrative, creative, research, or technical assistance to an organization serving seniors

               c.  Serving on the advisory board or board of directors of an organization serving
                    seniors 

               d.  Being a telephone companion to an isolated elder or caregiver.

Contributing financially

Many such organizations, including Alzheimers of Central Alabama, New Beacon Hospice, and many other hospice organizations welcome donations.   Ruth and Naomi Senior Outreach (RNSO) also welcomes all gifts, whether one-time donations, pledges fulfilled, or those made in memory or honor of someone.  No amount is too small.

Donations/Pledges may be made online by clicking here or mailed to

RNSO

2100 4^th Avenue North

Bham, AL 35203

Educating myself and others

1.       Attend ombudsman volunteer training, offered by the County Ombudsman Office, Office of Senior Citizen Services.  (In Jefferson County, Karen Guice is the Lead Ombudsman, phone 325-1416.)

2.       Read books and magazine articles.  Attend workshops/seminars/conferences.

3.       Notice the images portrayed of older people in the popular culture and media, including advertising/marketing.

4.       Let producers/writers/editors know when they have done a fine job of presenting realistic, balanced images (and when they haven’t).

5.       Make it a practice to notice older people each day—in the grocery store, on the streets, in parks, at the bank, at work.  Imagine what life is like for them.  Imagine yourself being one of them. 

6.      When you travel, continue to notice older people, and reflect on the differences from your own culture in how older people are treated and live.

7.      As you become aware of events in your city/state/nation/world, think about how those events affect older people.  E. g., storms, drought, famine, bombings, regime change, policy changes.

Preparing for my own old age

1.      Maintain practices of good health, especially sound nutrition, adequate rest/sleep, and physical exercise.

2.       Conduct a Life review

3.       Move from independence to inter-dependence.

Independence is not a virtue in any of the world’s major religions.  Inter-dependence requires becoming aware of each other’s strengths and needs, including self knowledge.  The only effective antidote to loneliness and isolation is  life in community.  Community is based on the mutual contract that, within our limitations, we will hear each other’s stated needs and, within the limits of possibility and appropriateness will either respond to the needs of others or will help others discover ways of meeting their own needs.  Community gives permission to accept help.

4.       Come to terms with mortality--achieve peace about your own inevitable death.

One must allow oneself to feel the depths of grief in order to let go of the past and proceed into whatever new state of being lies ahead.

5.      Repair your life through healing relationships and forgiving self and others.

6.       Do your philosophic homework:  figure out what you really believe.  Wisdom accumulates over time:  the years provide the opportunity to observe more, experience more, reflect more.  Own your own wisdom.

7.       Develop spiritually; meditate and pray (trying out different methods/styles), engendering expanded awareness, gratitude, a cosmic vision and sense of the meaning of your own life, a return of wonder.E.g., learn and practice Centering Prayer (www.bham.net/cobweb) or Mindfulness Meditation.

8.       Transmit your legacy to future generations:   being a role model, mentoring, peacemaking, caring for the planet, writing your life story.

9.       Consider long term care insurance.  Make your will; assign power of attorney.  Make your wishes known about how you want to end your life; e.g., make a living will and tell your next-of-kin, pastor, etc.  Plan your funeral; write your obituary.  Tell those closest to you that you love them. 

We’re all different . . . Each  has a part to play . . . We belong together.