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Engaging with life
as a senior can be complicated and
fun. This issue of Engage explores ways whole
families can be partners in life in all of its
stages, ways we can enjoy and protect one
another. With retirement comes the flexibility
to spend time with kids and grandkids in new
ways. We are glad to share some ideas for
time together that will expand everyone's
horizons. We also provide some timely
and excellent tips for protecting
yourself from fraud so you and
your loved ones can live confidently and
at peace at every age.
We hope you will
share Engage with your family and friends.
Sincerely,
Institute
on Aging
Helping
Bay Area Seniors Live Independently
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The New Senior Moment:
Have Grandkids,
Will Travel
Enjoying a Vacation Fit for
the Entire (Extended)
Family
from Road & Travel
Magazine
With their
eyes focused on warmer weather, thousands of
families will soon begin planning their spring or
summer family vacations. But this year they may
well be planning a new kind of vacation.
Multigenerational travel has recently become one
of the fastest growing areas of the travel
industry, as many families are now including
grandparents, aunts, and uncles in the family
getaway.
According to the Travel Industry Association,
each year more than 5 million family vacations
include three generations. As a result, many
families now face the challenge of finding a
vacation that is suitable for everyone from
toddlers to grandparents.
"The most important part of orchestrating
a three-generation vacation is being able to
accommodate everyone's needs and realizing that
our differences are what makes traveling together
such a unique experience," said travel expert
Christine Loomis, noted family travel author. "The
trick to this type of travel is simple: planning,
preparation and flexibility."
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The Truth about "Lotto
Scams"
With the economy struggling,  you can almost expect to
receive some form of fraudulent solicitation in
the coming months. Lotto scams are one of the most
common scams being perpetrated today. These
scammers are convincing, adaptable, and often
target seniors. Here are some basic facts and
resources to help you protect yourself and those
you love from becoming the victim of a lotto scam.
Scammers want two things: your money and your
identity. Don't give them
either!
Most often lotto scams come in the form of a
letter that is mailed, emailed, or faxed in bulk
to thousands of recipients. Recipients are
notified that they have won money or prizes from a
foreign lottery. Do not be taken in. The ONLY
way to win a lottery is to have purchased a
ticket.
Often counterfeit checks are included with
letters. DO NOT CASH THESE CHECKS!! Checks
included with these scams are counterfeit and YOU
will be held responsible for the full amount since
you are the one who cashed them.
Claim forms often accompany lotto
letters and are another ploy to steal your
identity. These forms will ask for your
social security number, bank account information,
or other identifying data. Do not fill out
these forms or otherwise give these preditors your
personal information.
Whatever the
approach of the scammers, the best defense is
commons sense and good
information.
Elder Abuse Resources in San
Francisco
Find more information about IOA's Elder Abuse
Program and its services, including trainings,
presentations, education resource materials, and
referral services. www.ioaging.org
Learn about legal options and resources
from the San Francisco Elder Abuse Forensic
Center.
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Community
Events
Richmond
Community Coalition Quarterly Breakfast
Arrive early for a light breakfast. All are
welcome. The agenda includes a tour and
presentation by Beth Sholom and a
presentation and community forum
with guest speaker Supervisor Eric Mar.
When: Tuesday, January 27,
2009, 8:15 a.m. -10:00 a.m.
Where: Congregation Beth
Sholom
301 - 14th Avenue
San Francisco, CA.
94118
Cost: Free (donations
welcome)
IOA's
Annual Dinner a la Heart
Institute on Aging invites you to join us for
our 26th annual Dinner a la Heart. Enjoy your
choice of the Bay Area's finest restaurants
including: Delfina, Gary Danko, Ana Mandara,
Water Bar, Il Fornaio, and many more.
Proceeds support IOA programs serving over 20,000
older adults in our community.
When: Tuesday, February
7, 7:00pm & 10:00pm Where: Click
here for info about participating
restaurants Cost: Various
IOA's Professional
Education: The Labyrinth
of
Caregiving
Are you interested in the field of
professional caregivng? This one-day program
offers insights into various caregiving issues
including: policy and research implications for
practice, cross-cultural issues, "compassion
fatigue" and burnout, spiritual resources for
caregiving, integrating the caregiver into your
senior services, non-traditional caregivers,
helping families make tough eldercare decisons,
and sharing alternative housing
models/options.
When:
Wednesday, February 11, 8:30am -
4:30pm
Where: The
Event Center at Saint Mary's Cathedral
1111
Gough Street
San Francisco,
CA Cost: $110/Early
Bird Rate
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ENCOURAGE
Dear
Encourage,
My mom is a
widower and lives alone. She sees her friends
weekly and is generally pretty cheerful, but I
know spending time with me is important to her.
Increasingly I find myself juggling time with her
and time taking care of my kids and spouse.
Between work, driving kids to music lessons,
making dinner, laundry and quality time with my
mom, I'm feeling squeezed. I want to be a good
daughter, a good mom and a good spouse. How do
people manage when they have so many people to
take care of?
Dear Feeling
Squeezed,
First
of all, let me reassure you that you are not
alone. You are one of millions of Americans who
are referred to as members of the "Sandwich
Generation," those individuals who are juggling
the multiple responsibilities of jobs, families
and aging relatives. Your generation often feels
caught in the middle-showing up to care for the
needs of others and struggling to please everyone.
Helping others is an honorable task as well as a
labor of love; however, constantly putting other's
needs ahead of your own can lead to caregiver burn
out which involves feelings of frustration,
resentment, and general lethargy. A great deal has
been written about your generation and an internet
search on "sandwich generation" will offer you
valuable help. In the mean time, here are the
basics to reduce personal stress and find
effective ways to cope:
- Keep a positive attitude: See
the glass as half full.
- Take care of all of
YOU: Your health is multifaceted and requires
attention and action to the physical, emotional,
and spiritual.
- Live one day at a time:
Be mindful of your actions and stay present in
today.
- Stay informed about
your options and opportunities: Gather information
from several different sources.
- Be realistic about what
you can and cannot do: Sharpen your sense of
reality; Predict stumbling blocks and
obstacles.
- Enhance your sense of
connectedness with others: Make time to develop
and maintain a social support system; Pick up the
phone and reach out when you are feeling doubtful;
Stay engaged in activities of interest; Invite a
friend to take a walk with you.
For those of you who are not familiar with
Reinhold Niebuhr's The Serenity
Prayer, its message may be comforting to you
as you learn to cope with the stressors associated
with being a Sandwich Generation member.
The Serenity
Prayer
Grant me The Serenity
to
accept the things I cannot change;
The Courage
to change the things I can;
and The Wisdom to
know the difference.
Amen.
--Reinhold
Niebuhr
Do
you have a question about engaging with life
as a senior? Send it our way. Please note,
questions may be printed but will be kept strictly
anonymous. Click here to email
us. | |
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Every month we highlight a family
tradition, such as a recipe, a craft, or a cultural
holiday. Please suggest a tradition from your
family!
This month's family
tradition:
Chinese New Year
January 26,
2009
Chinese New Year is celebrated as a symbol of
spring's immanent arrival. Often called the Spring
Festival, the 12 day family celebration occurs
after the fall harvest and before the spring planting
season. The date of the Chinese New Year is always
changing and is dependant on the Chinese calendar
invented by Emperor Huangdi in the year 2637
B.C.E.
2009 is the year of the Ox, as shown in
the paper cut art above. Click here to learn more
about Chinese paper cut art. Enjoy!
We'd like to feature part of your heritage.
Share a recipe, tradition or family story. We'd love to
print it! Click here
to email
us. | |
