Senior Circle of Care OF

In my early 20’s, I was seriously injured in an accident at work. The injury involved damage to my spinal cord and several vertebras in my lower back. I was hospitalized for a number of months, followed by a recovery process that took nearly a year. Through this period, even the simplest tasks became very difficult, if not impossible, for me to complete without assistance. In the aftermath of that recovery, I developed an attitude that I would never be in a position to have to ask for help from anyone ever again.

Maybe some of you out there can relate to that attitude. The desire to remain independent, to manage our own lives, is very powerful. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Hanging on to that independence as long as possible is a worthy goal and is imbedded in the mission of the Adult Resource Alliance which in part reads "providing effective services and leading collaborative efforts to ensure seniors remain independent with the highest possible quality of life."

As I got older and gained more experience in life, that attitude of stubborn independence become difficult to maintain. The idea that no man is an island took on real meaning as I navigated the challenges of life. I no longer refuse that helping hand when offered. Over the next several months, we will be rolling out a new program that will be offering that same helping hand to seniors in Yellowstone County who are struggling to maintain their independence. The intent of the program is to use volunteers to provide identified services to seniors. This will positively impact their ability to age in place. We are asking volunteers to “Embrace The Power Of Two”. For as little as two hours of volunteer time, you can positively impact a senior’s life. To make this happen, we will need to recruit a number of new volunteers.

The program is titled the Senior Circle of Care. This issue includes a more in-depth article on that program, and contact information if you wish to join with us as we “Embrace The Power Of Two”.