Just a Few Steps at a Time

My work environment is a special place because it involves working side by side with people of all ages for an older population.  It demonstrates that different backgrounds, experiences, and talents can successfully achieve outstanding goals for a group of people who truly deserve our best.  It’s nice to learn from employees who haven’t experienced as much as I have as well as from those who have lived longer and are considered older adults.   We all work well together and our symphony greatly enhances the lives of those we serve.

It’s always important to do a good job completely and efficiently.  But it’s also important to introduce ways to improve the office atmosphere to generate positive inspiration and motivation in order to give our best.  Our work isn’t always rosy and as a matter of fact some of the issues that our senior clients face, which we work to resolve, are gritty and ugly.  So, I was inspired by an article I read on how to improve the quality of the workplace by introducing exercise as a way to lighten the workload a bit and improve team building.  I was delighted to receive positive feedback from our Nutritionist.  We formed an afternoon walking club and so far it’s just the two of us but I’m observing interest from others and feel that despite the colder weather our numbers will grow.  We’re enjoying discovering the neighborhood by land and sharing stories without interruption while improving our health.  The first person we encountered who was also walking was an active older neighbor.  A few seniors who live next door to the office were pleased to see this and their encouragement felt good.  Certainly these are signs that we’re doing the right thing!  We’ve even noticed that our energy level is sustained beyond 5pm, which is a huge plus for long workdays.  Hallway line dancing and other ways to interject fitness are being explored.

I’m looking forward to increased vitality and energy in order to handle the day’s activities as well as getting to know my team in a special way.

What have you experienced in your workplace that helped build team work and improve health?  Share your thoughts with us.

Dawn M. Quattlebaum is the Director of Ward 5 Aging Services for Seabury Resources for Aging.  Ward 5 Aging Services plans and directs aging services for older adults and caregivers in Washington DC’s Ward 5.  Services include nutrition sites, case management, nutrition education and support, transportation coordination, and social events.  Dawn can be reached at (202) 529-8701 or via email at DQuattlebaum@seaburyresources.org.

Message for the Heart

February is National Heart Month.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in America. Although heart disease can be managed, it is an irreversible and incurable disease. Heart disease can greatly impact an individual’s quality of life, as decline in one’s physical ability and stamina can lead to decreased activity and socialization. Such changes can lead to feelings of worthlessness, isolation, anger, and depression.  

Friends and family can support a loved one with heart disease by educating themselves about the disease and being sensitive to their loved one’s feelings and physical abilities. Individuals with heart disease can lead healthy, fulfilling lives by following the doctor’s orders and surrounding themselves with positive, caring and supportive people.

Are you caring for someone with heart disease?  What are some lessons you have learned along the way?

To learn more about heart disease prevention, treatment and support, contact:  The American Heart Association, 1-800-242-8721, www.heart.org; CDC, 800-232-4636, www.cdc.gov; and  Mended Hearts,1-888-432-7899, www.mendedhearts.org

Stephanie Chong, LICSW, is the Director of Operations for Seabury Resources for Aging’s Care Management service.   Care managers work with older adults on an individual basis to advise them on a variety of issues and services; such as home care, transportation, medical/legal assistance and housing. families are put at ease having a knowledgeable guide to provide recommendations and resources to meet their unique needs. this expertise can save families money and reduce stress and time away from work. Stephanie can be reached at (202) 364-0013 or via email her at SChong@seaburyresources.org.

What might, what would it take, what if….Questions to transform old stuck patterns when navigating change or when faced with “challenging” situations.

Asking questions of life is a practice that engages my thinking from routine patterns into possibilities.  Key to this practice is to leave the question open and dangling.  This dares me into explorations unconsidered when boxed in with answers.

While I practice inconsistently, I notice that when I do engage thusly, life shifts and alters in unimagined ways.  What might my life be like if I questioned more often?

This act of asking questions is part of a practice called personal leadership (PL).  The practitioners have been a part of the “inter-culturalist” education networks, and the timing seems right for this framework of living called personal leadership to escape into the larger world.  East Coast practitioners and facilitators met recently at University of Maryland, Baltimore County to share experiences, concerns and burning questions about its seemingly simple principles and practices and to explore ways to open PL to the world.

If you, like me, work with faith communities or in the field of aging, or are facing change or just aren’t getting along with someone.  You might be searching for another way of interaction because the old ways are no longer working effectively.  We always have choices: stay with the familiar routine or respond mindfully and creatively to the unique situation.   Personal Leadership is a tool that helps me wade through the waves of transition.  It is a tool that enables me to look at my reaction to situations and choose to change, or not.

Quick definitions (from a taste of personal leadership presented by Rita Wuebbeler and Katsuko Sugiyama on January 20, 2012):  “Personal Leadership can be defined as a framework of two principles and six practices designed to help us stay connected to inspiration and creativity in the face of the new and unfamiliar.”

Speedy key points: the two principles are Mindfulness and Creativity.  The six practices of attending to judgment, attending to emotion, attending to physical sensation, cultivating stillness, engaging ambiguity and aligning with vision, provide a way to expand mindfulness and creativity into unimagined ways.  And, there is more, much more… discover for yourself!

Interested?  Check out the book Personal Leadership, Making a world of difference by Barbara F. Schaetti, Sheila J. Ramsey, and Gordon C. Watanabe or info@plseminars.com

And let me know how your questioning progresses.  How has questioning helped you clarify your decisions and choices?

Annie Shaw

Annie is Seabury’s Director of Congregational Resources working with congregations to help them organize programs and services by and with older adults. She can be reached at (202) 414-6314 or via email.

What does age mean, anyway?

A rose is a rose is a rose, so the old poem goes.  However, I’m not finding that “age” is meaningful in any static sense.  Certainly mine is not fixed into a point at which I can say I am 64 and 64 means that I’m mature and wrinkled and ready to retire (one of those is currently a true adjective).   Nope, this morning I hope that at 94 I’ll feel more energized than today.  Last Monday, my eight year old self emerged when I fell and skinned my knees (after walking 4 miles earlier in the day).

As we age, we’re supposed to be more “stick in the mud” and entrenched in our views of life…  NO!  we are at our wisdom age and can “go with the flow”.  We’re supposed to be feeble.  No, we’re walking/running marathons.  We’re mature so people come to us for advice.  No, we’re having fights with our “friends with benefits” and our lives are topsy-turvy.

So, what’s in an age?   I can’t answer for you, I cannot even answer for me!

I do know, however, that at Seabury Resources for Aging, we are available to serve you in all your definitions of age.   We provide affordable living for older adults and services to assist older adults and our loved ones.  We have volunteer opportunities that allow you to have meaningful relationships with older adults.  And, we allow fun!   Call and find out how we might be of assistance to you!

And let us know what age means to you.

Annie Shaw
Annie is Seabury’s Director of Congregational Resources working with congregations to help them organize programs and services by and with older adults. She can be reached at (202) 414-6314 or via email.

A Wonderful and Lasting Life Lesson

I am so grateful that at an early age I learned from my mother how to treat older adults by watching as she cared for and loved her mother.  I’m not sure how, but from many miles away, my mother knew that the responsibilities of maintaining a home had become too much for my grandmother.  She asked her to live with our family when I was a young teen.   Thankfully, my grandmother agreed and our three-generation household made a very happy home.  I learned a few years later that my mother was also rescuing my grandmother from a few family members who frequently depended on her for “extended credit.”

Little did I know then that those 10+ years would be the building blocks of my compassion and affection for seniors and that I would dedicate most of my adult life and career to serving them.  This life lesson prepared me to not only easily relate to older people, but also to talk with families about their older loved one.  I observed firsthand how the spectrum of aging in place is greatly enhanced when your family, neighbors, and friends surround and support you.   I also came to realize that not all sons-in-law have such a wonderful relationship with their mother-in-law.  This first-hand lesson taught me how important it is that your spouse loves and respects not only you but your parents as well.

Over the last 25 years I have worked at three locations where I have served older adults and each opportunity has thankfully given me the chance to learn.  Although my grandmother and mother are no longer with us I have been “adopted” many times by residents and clients.  How wonderful that my early lessons solidly prepared me to skillfully work with, for, and assist seniors through their rewarding and difficult times.  Of course my formal education, training, seminars, and day-to-day work experiences have greatly enhanced this foundation.  But I don’t think I would have enjoyed it as much had it had not been for those lasting life lessons from two remarkable women, whom I can proudly say were two of my dearest family members.

Dawn M. Quattlebaum is the Director of Ward 5 Aging Services for Seabury Resources for Aging.  Ward 5 Aging Services plans and directs aging services for older adults and caregivers in Washington DC’s Ward 5.  Services include nutrition sites, case management, nutrition education and support, transportation coordination, and social events.  Dawn can be reached at (202) 529-8701 or via email at DQuattlebaum@seaburyresources.org.

Schedule Time for Thought

I recently listened to a radio program that addressed the value of being “in thought.”  In this day and age of smart phones, tablets and DVR’s, taking time to think has become difficult to do.   In many ways such technologies have enhanced the way we live.  However one of the consequences is that Americans are distracted by the plethora of information available to them any time, day or night. Many of us rely on television and the internet to decompress from a busy or stressful day, allowing for time to unwind and “switch off the brain.”   Although we all benefit from indulging in personal time, it is best balanced with quiet time that allows us to think, reflect, and plan.  Such critical thinking is important to making good decisions on topics both big and small, which ultimately leads to an improved quality of life.

This thought provoking program got me thinking of the many caregivers we work with at Seabury Resources for Aging.  Many of them are spouses, partners or adult children who lead busy lives with multiple competing demands.  Oftentimes, they relax by watching TV or surfing the internet, sometimes lost for hours at a time, relishing  their time of doing “nothing.”  This often leads to reduced sleep time and lack of exercise, and allows for little time to effectively consider important matters in their lives and respond in a thoughtful manner.

I’ve heard caregivers say, “I just wish I had time to think.”  Scheduling time for thought is possible and important.  Consider the time wasted on distractions and place the priority on using that time to think.  Remember that time spent in thought is time well spent.  The alternative to doing so results in reacting to situations with little time for critical thinking on the matter, thus leading to inefficiencies, unhappiness and stress.    Critical thinking is one way of taking care of yourself and those you care for.   Once you have finished reading this, turn off your computer, tablet or smart phone and enjoy some time alone in thought.

Stephanie Chong, LICSW, is the Director of Operations for Seabury Resources for Aging’s Care Management service.   Care managers work with older adults on an individual basis to advise them on a variety of issues and services; such as home care, transportation, medical/legal assistance and housing. families are put at ease having a knowledgeable guide to provide recommendations and resources to meet their unique needs. this expertise can save families money and reduce stress and time away from work. Stephanie can be reached at (202) 364-0013 or via email her at SChong@seaburyresources.org.

Taking Charge of Your Retirement

When do you begin to plan for your own retirement?  My four brothers and I gathered at the home of my parents in upstate New York the weekend before Thanksgiving to address my parents’ concerns about “weeding out the family treasurers.”  At 81 and 85 they are realizing that their early decision to age in place in the family home of 50 plus years is turning out to be more challenging than they had realized. When each experienced a health crisis at the same time earlier in the year, the need for assistance and a change beamed an alert. The dinner conversation turned to alternatives to staying at home and what is available. The next day there was a field trip to one option in their locale. They have since visited another and one of my brothers who works with investments has helped them review their income and assets and their projected income for these later years.  A change at their ages and in the winter, is unlikely, but come spring there will be more of a push to move while they have options.

When we are well and healthy, we assume life will go on as it has and we can maintain the “status quo.”  Certainly, when one retires, the adjustments to real income are a wake-up opportunity. But, if your retirement income allows you to maintain your residence and life-style, denial of potential needs later on stays strong.

It is never too early to start planning your retirement. Any planning and saving will serve you well.  There are a lot more uncertainties today when one looks ahead at retirement. Our parents’ generation had the opportunities for company pensions with fixed benefits, a healthy Social Security system, and a healthy US stock market. Today, pensions with fixed benefits are rare. The health of Social Security is in question, and any investments (personal or retirement-401K or IRA) rise or fall in response to the world-economy’s weakest link. In addition, we may have the opportunity to live longer than our parents with advances in medications and treatment.

While I applaud the village concept, modeled after Beacon Hill in Boston, for many this will be an interim measure for quality retirement living. If we have the good fortune to have a long life, we will most likely have multiple retirement living scenarios.  The early years will be active and probably providing services to others. The middle years will have some cut backs in spending and activities. Then, we need to plan for a period where we will need some assistance and maybe more.

There is no pat formula for how to retire or how to manage your affairs in your later years. You really are the person who is most responsible for  your retirement and later years experience. You should be in charge of how it goes down – What determines quality living for you? What can you do now and what can you afford? What assistance might you need to maintain your life-passions or your day-to-day needs?

Seabury’s care managers are a great resource if you are facing challenges in your later retirement years or if you are trying to figure out next steps in your middle retirement years. They are also a great resource for children of parents who have not planned for all of their needs or who need assistance executing their plans.

For the younger generation, take charge now. It is your retirement to design to suit you.

Joseph Resch, Jr. is the Executive Director of Seabury Resources for Aging.  He can be reached at JResch@seaburyresources.org.  You can contact Seabury’s Care Management program at (202) 364-0020.