Seniors need to get connected

By Lesley Fernow  Seniors need to get connected  – In this column in the past few months we have begun the conversation about how

seniors can remain healthy, independent and full members of our community. We have spoken about the importance of staying socially engaged. The research shows that the best type of social engagement to preserve mental function involves not only being with other people but actively interacting with others.
 
    An additional boost to longevity and vibrancy comes from feeling like you are making a difference. Often when people retire and they lose the “meaning” of their lives, they feel a bit lost, wondering how they fit in to their society. While some people welcome the rest and the time with their gardens and families, other people become depressed and restless. As our society ages, the time from retirement to “old age” can amount to almost a quarter of a person’s life. Most of us are not ready to just sit down and get old in a chair.
    The Commons, a program developed by The Highlands as part of the repurposing of Central Hall, is working to expand and enrich the opportunities for seniors to remain active and engaged. One wonderful way to do this and to be part of a growing network of people sharing time and experience is to join Jack Does That.
    Jack is a time-sharing program in which every person’s gift of time to another is valued equally and builds a “bank” of time that can be used when that person in turn has need of someone else’s skill. For example, if Mary spends an hour sitting and having tea with Jane, an older woman who lives alone and can’t get out to socialize, Mary will earn an hour in her time bank. If she then needs help with shoveling her walk because she can no longer do it herself and another Jack member does it for her, she uses one of her banked hours. If Jane has shared her interest in stamp collecting with Tom, an amateur stamp collector, she too may earn an hour. If Barbara spends two hours a week after school tutoring a young boy who needs help with homework, she earns the equivalent in time from someone else.
    The beauty of Jack Does That is that a person can offer whatever he or she is capable of doing and also a person can list the “wants” or “needs” that he or she might have. If you need someone to take you grocery shopping once a week, there will be someone who will help with that. In return, you may offer to share time with someone else who wants to learn to crochet. This is definitely a winning opportunity for all who are involved.
    The Commons is listed on Jack as a business and many local people have already signed up to offer services. All it takes is for you to sign up and think about what you can do, and what you need. No money is exchanged.
    To learn more call Patrick Myers at 270-3613 or go to info@JackDoesThat.org. Most importantly, get connected!
    We invite readers to offer feedback about this column and to suggest topics for future articles. You may do so by contacting Meg Callaway of the Charlotte White Center at (207) 947-1410 and mcallaway@charlottewhite.org or Lesley Fernow at (207) 992-6822 and lmfernow@rcn.com.