Horizons magazine is published by Presbyterian Women (PW) the national women’s organization of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
Issue link: http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/52581
is important and then summarize it. So, they actually know a lot by the time they leave here. Then, we have a program with retirees of trade unions here in New York. We work with the unions and invite their retirees to participate in seminars on aging [put on by GAA and our interns]. We have about 10 sessions with them a year. Because we've known each other now for such a long time, people in the group are good friends, and they always look forward to [interacting with] the next group of interns. It's kind of a family thing now. It's a way for our interns to hear [about] the realities of older people's lives. ᑄᑂᑁᑃᑁᑅᑀWhat can PW as an organization, or Presbyterian women as individuals, do with regard to aging issues? ᑆᑇᑆᑁᑅᑅᑂᑀ Self-educate. Read books on the topic. Discuss a book with a group [or book club]. Ask [older] people the big questions: Whom can you count on? Do you understand what a will is? Do you have one? Who knows about your health situation? [Ask] all those questions that no one wants to deal with, but that we [all must] deal with [eventually]. Then [take] sort of a personal inventory, and an inven- tory of religious organizations [to determine] whether they're trained about these issues. Do [religious T ᑁᑄᑃᑇᑅᑀᑂᑆᑇᑄ ᑗ∗−ᑀ(∗−!ᑀ%)∀∗−(ᑩ/%∗)ᑀᑩᑰ∗0/ᑀ%..0!.ᑀᑩ∀∀!ᑱ/%)#ᑀ∗∋ !−ᑀ+!∗+∋!ᑂᑀ1%.%/ᑀ/∃!ᑀᑘᑔᑔᑀ2!ᑰ.%/!ᑀᑩ/ᑀ222ᑄ#∋∗ᑰᑩ∋ᑩ#%)#ᑄ∗−#ᑄᑀᑢ!2ᑀᑩ−/%ᑱ∋!. ᑩ) ᑀ./0 %!.ᑀ−!∋ᑩ/! ᑀ/∗ᑀᑩ#%)#ᑀ%..0!.ᑀᑩ−!ᑀ+∗./! ᑀ∀−!,0!)/∋4ᑂᑀᑩ) ᑀ/∃!ᑀ.%/!ᑀ(ᑩ%)/ᑩ%).ᑀ−!ᑱ∗− .ᑀ∗∀ᑀᑧᑢᑀᑩᑱ/%∗).ᑀ−!∋ᑩ/! ᑀ/∗ᑀ!∋ !− −%#∃/.ᑂᑀ∃!ᑩ∋/∃ᑂᑀ+!).%∗).ᑂᑀ−0−ᑩ∋ᑀᑩ#%)#ᑀᑩ) ᑀᑩ−(! ᑀᑱ∗)∀∋%ᑱ/ᑄ ᑥ0.ᑩ))!ᑀᑣᑩ0∋ᑀᑱ∗ᑃ2−∗/!ᑀᑙ0(ᑩ)%/4ᑀᑕ∗(!.ᑀ∗∀ᑀᑔ#!ᑒᑀᑦ∃!ᑀᑢ!2ᑀᑕ∗)/!3/ᑀ∀∗−ᑀᑡ%)%./−4ᑀ2%/∃ᑀ/∃!ᑀᑖ∋ !−∋4ᑀ2%/∃ᑀ∃!−ᑀ∃0.ᑰᑩ) ᑠᑩ(!.ᑀᑣᑩ0∋ᑀ/∗ᑀ.!−1!ᑀᑩ.ᑀᑩᑀᑧ)%/! ᑀᑡ!/∃∗ %./ᑀᑕ∃0−ᑱ∃ᑀᑡ%..%∗)ᑀᑥ/0 4ᑀᑤ!.∗0−ᑱ!ᑀ%)ᑀᑆᑑᑑᑈᑄᑀᑢ!ᑩ−∋4ᑀᑇᑅᑀ4!ᑩ−.ᑀ∋ᑩ/!−ᑂᑀ/∃!%−ᑀ2∗−& −!(ᑩ%).ᑀ%).%#∃/∀0∋ᑂᑀᑱ∗1!−%)#ᑀ/∃!ᑀ/−ᑩ).%/%∗)ᑀ%)/∗ᑀ6∋∗)#ᑀ∋%∀!7ᑀᑩ) ᑀ(ᑩ)4ᑀ∗∀ᑀ/∃!ᑀ%..0!.ᑀᑘᑔᑔᑀ2∗−&.ᑀ∗)ᑀ/∗ ᑩ4ᑄᑀᑦ∗ᑀ∗− !−ᑀᑩᑀᑱ∗+4ᑂ ᑱ∗)/ᑩᑱ/ᑀᑥ0.ᑩ))!ᑀ1%ᑩᑀ!(ᑩ%∋ᑀᑁᑩ/ᑀ.ᑄ+ᑩ0∋ᑓ#∋∗ᑰᑩ∋ᑩ#%)#ᑄ∗−#ᑀ∗−ᑀ.!) ᑀᑩᑀ−!,0!./ᑀ2%/∃ᑀᑩᑀ+∗./ᑩ#!ᑃ+ᑩ% ᑀ!)1!∋∗+!ᑀ/∗ᑀᑘᑔᑔᑀᑩ/ᑀᑐᑐᑐᑀᑧᑢ ᑣ∋ᑩ5ᑩᑂᑀᑥ0%/!ᑀᑉᑠᑂᑀᑢ!2ᑀᑨ∗−&ᑂᑀᑢᑨᑀᑆᑅᑅᑆᑐᑄ November/December 2011 15 organizations] know about their [state and local] departments for aging? Do they know who to call if someone is being released from a hospital but can't get themselves home? Does [the local church] have a manual for these situations? I sug- gest that each [church] has resources available to the parishioner, or to the person who's growing older, or to the family. Then [identify someone] in the church to be on senior watch. We invest tremendous amounts of resources in young people—as well we should—but we need [resources extended to other] age groups. We also need to have meaningful ways of intergenerational exchange that make sense, so that people can value one another. And I think churches can do that. I also think we have to study aging—it's going to happen to us, it is happening to us! You may feel 20, but you're suddenly 80! Those are my suggestions, and, of course, to do things inter- generationally—which I think is harder and harder to do. In a way, because of the technology, it's the younger people who have the knowledge that's helping the older people. And it breaks down some of the "I know it all" syndrome of older persons [to interact with young people]. We need younger people whose minds are flexible and have an easier time grasping things. I've found that young people are very patient with me—they're willing to help me. ᑄᑂᑁᑃᑁᑅᑀ Is there anything else you want to tell Horizons readers? ᑆᑇᑆᑁᑅᑅᑂᑀ I hope that people will follow the discussion about the human rights of older persons, because many older persons are cheated and [even experience abuse] because they have no one to talk to. They're lonely [and the church can help]. On policy issues, it's impor- tant for people to know who in their state and at their local level is their aging authority, and to know what the services are. There is a number for your Area Agency on Aging in the telephone book (see also www.n4a.org). Area agencies on aging are mandated to respond to older people. That's worth knowing about. And again, a church group could visit that kind of facility and find out what goes on there. For younger people, aging will become, in their lifetime, a whole career path. Because there will be a [large] num- ber of older people who require services or need teachers—[there are many] potential jobs in that area. So, your future is aging! Meagan Manas is the justice and peace staff specialist for Presbyterian Women.