Make the Best of Your Resources

As we and our loved ones age, we may find that accommodations need to be made to how we meet our daily activities. What we often forget is to think globally about what we really have in the form of resources. Most of us will readily identify the money that is available, what is covered by insurance and the current ability of the aging person. What we miss is that everything and everyone in our environment may have something to contribute, no matter how small.
There are two general categories of care givers, formal and informal. The healthcare professionals we work with are clearly formal care givers as are social workers and the persons who administer the provisions of our health care coverage. Informal caregivers are just about everyone else. This includes children in small ways.
I am reminded of the time "Grandma J" fell just as she was returning from her daily walk. Her small shadow, a 4 year old neighbor was able to run to tell Grandma J's daughter about the fall and to return with a pillow to place under Grandma J's head. She sat with her, held her hand and sang the song her mother sang when she needed scraped knees tended, Jesus Loves Me.
Be willing to expand your thoughts to include people who can do small things in loving ways. Keep in mind that an object or tool that you do not need may be just the thing to meet a need.

Watching out for One Another

Many years ago I worked at a small hotel in a major East Coast city. There was an older, homeless woman who would panhandle in the neighborhood. When she got enough for a couple of nights in the hotel she would check in and try to extend her stay by seeking enough money for another night at her usual stand. Every time she checked in she needed to fill in the registration card which included a space for permanent address, One of the secretary's would send a letter to the address on the card.
There came a long period of time when no one saw "Mary" and we, sad to say, stopped looking for her. Then, out of the blue the secretary "Susan" had a charming lady stop by to see her. It seems that "Mary" was homeless and in need of medical attention. Her family had been looking for her for more than a year without any luck. When she checked in the last time she gave an address that was accurate for her family, they came and found her, took her home and she got the medical attention that she needed.  She had come back to thank "Sue" for the persistence of her effort to locate her family
Now, we may not be able to help in such a dramatic way but if we are persistent in our efforts to help each other we can make things a bit better for all of us.