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A lot of the elderly people I know still work. We have employees that are well into seventies with one who is 78.
As far as those who do not work I am not really sure. The only real example I have is my grandmother. Her and neighbors have grown old together. It just so happens now that in the neighborhood my aunt and uncle moved next to her. Works out well as they keep tabs on her. Mom also calls her every day too.
posted by
FormerStudentIntern
on September 5, 2009 at 4:50 PM
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That was a great post and what you do is admirable and rewarding. Nobody will ever give me a morning call when I'm really, really old, so I better polish up on my computer skills and, in a moment of need, can click, click to my blogit friends.
posted by
vogue
on September 4, 2009 at 11:43 PM
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that's a wonderful job that you do, and you do it
as volunteer work, what a great person you are.
posted by
Samantha39
on September 4, 2009 at 7:49 PM
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Re: The elderly northsage 45
Guy,
You must be a real ray of sunshine for the people whom you visit; they must certainly appreciate your blog. Glad to know that someone pops in to visit you mother on a daily basis. Dogs are often life lines for the elderly. Thanks for visiting.
posted by
elinjo
on September 4, 2009 at 12:52 PM
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Re: Snowview
Hello Nita. It's hard being caught between two stools. Some people here cope by moving into collectives for senior citizens; safety in numbers so as to speak. Thanks for your kind words; but really it only involves ringing them up. If the worst comes to the worst I am not the one who has to go and find out what's happened.
posted by
elinjo
on September 4, 2009 at 12:46 PM
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Re: In our area there's meals on wheels, and the community center
It does not worry me living on my own either; as you say there are lots of advantages including uninterrupted time for writing. However as we get older it gets riskier; falls in the bathroom and so on.
posted by
elinjo
on September 4, 2009 at 12:27 PM
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Re: isiS Eyes
Thanks for your comment. All I do is ring them up and say hello.
We have health visitors that visit new mothers and babies too. I hope the rabbi was helpful.
posted by
elinjo
on September 4, 2009 at 12:24 PM
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The pastor and elders in many churches call and visit them. Mine even calls me and I’m not that old. BC-A, Bill’s RJJst
posted by
BC-A
on September 4, 2009 at 8:52 AM
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Elinjo, such a beautiful job you are doing! I can just imagine all the lives you've touched, how profoundly you can affect things in your corner of this wide earth. We also have Meals on Wheels and other things, but Americans are also very, very busy. Still, I'll never forget the time when my ex-husband was in the military, and I had just had a new baby. It was common practice on that air base for a visiting nurse to stop by and check on new mothers, to make sure they had what they needed. The lady who visited me called it preventive medicine - and it certainly was, or I might have sunk completely into postpartum depression.
By the way, I did finally get to talk to the rabbi on the phone. I'll be posting soon about how that went, and what's next. Thank you so much for all your support on these first steps of this quest. 
posted by
myrrhage_
on September 4, 2009 at 8:27 AM
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In our area there's meals on wheels, and the community center
volunteers may have a list of shut-ins they call on a regular basis. There are independent living, assisted living, nursing homes and hospice care. I live alone, but seldom hear from any of my kids, maybe on the weekends since they're all busy with school, work, families. I cherish my alone time, and can drive and get out for a meal or a visit to the bookstore or craft shop or take in a movie during the cheaper matinee hours. And I have uninterrupted time to write -- a blessing in itself.
posted by
Pat_B
on September 4, 2009 at 7:46 AM
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Elinjo
Our Canadian system for assisting the elderly sounds similar to yours although there is a financial strain on the health care system given this ever growing demographic. In this day and age of “children” relocating for jobs or career opportunities often an elderly person is on their own with immediate family miles away. I think it’s a terrible though when the adult children are close at hand and do not take the time to check in routinely with their aging parent. Love the volunteer work you do!
posted by
Troosha
on September 4, 2009 at 7:35 AM
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I dont know of anything, of course there are the care givers that go to the homes everyday or part of the week. But actually something set up just for the elderly I have no idea
posted by
Lanetay
on September 4, 2009 at 7:34 AM
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Betty, what wonderful work you do, and it's a great system! Traditionally in India, the elderly were looked after by the family, specially in the joint family system, but unfortunately, that is no longer so, and many are left to fend for themselves. Yet, nothing like the system you have exists here. We're between two worlds--the old doesn't exist (though many will not admit to it) and alternatives aren't there either. There are some old age homes, but not always up to the mark. Congratulations again on your work; I would love to do something like this.
posted by
Nita09
on September 4, 2009 at 7:18 AM
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The elderly
Elinjo,
As you probobly already know, I deliver meals to our area's seniors, have since Oct first, 2,001. In that time I have met, become friends with, and lost dozens of these lovely, interesting people.With some, I share copies of my blog, and they really enjoy reading them, laughing and talking with me. My mother lives about 75 miles away, and we often don't see each other, even monthly. She once confided to me that she worries that she might die at home alone, and not be found for days. She has a small shelty dog, (Tina) and she feared that when found, she would be found with her face eaten off! Mom, is quite heavy, and I joked that, as long as her dog had plenty of water, at least the dog wouldn't starve, for a very long time! Now a woman friend visits daily, to take Tina for a walk, while walking her own dog.
One less thing to worry about. I have to admit, I laughed when she told me about that "Face eaten off" thing, though.
Guy
posted by
northsage_45
on September 4, 2009 at 5:04 AM
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Re: Shobana
Thanks for your comment Shobana; you're right we do gradually get to know each other in this forum. I'm sure whether it's because of different ideologies. Nowadays everybody is expected to work, the children get sent to day-care centers and the grandparents are independent or at least fend for themselves. 20 years or so ago old age homes were for the relatively active elderly, nowadays they are for the totally decrepid. Here's wishing you a wonderful weekend!
posted by
elinjo
on September 4, 2009 at 4:27 AM
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Elinjo - Wonderful work you do..may you be blessed. I think that is the difference with the western world and their ideologies verses the eastern world. Over here it is still the practice of the children looking after the aged. In the western world, they prefer their independence and would prefer a life of their own. We do have homes for aged (old folks homes) and it is starting to catch on whereby the aged are left in homes to been taken care of - like a nursing home. I used to do a wee bit of community work. Last year was my last though. My daughter before her trip to Cuba was teaching in an orphanage and the younger one helps out in the Somalian refugee centre. Now we have our dad to look after so time is of the essence here. Thank you for this lovely write..a bit by bit I am getting to know you through it. Have a nice weekend.
posted by
shobana
on September 4, 2009 at 1:28 AM
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