Make the Connection!
Today is Colorado Gives Day!
Otherwise known as Giving Tuesday, the day designed to spotlight opportunities for people to give to charitable causes. The day seems to have come into existence when two organizations, the 92nd Street Y in New York City and the United Nations Foundation came together in October 2012, with the intention to set aside a day that was all about celebrating the generosity of giving, a great American tradition. According to USA Today, Giving Tuesday raised $180 million in online donations. That is nothing to sneeze at!
Donating Locally is Easy!
Here in Colorado, we’ve got our own website with over 2,000 nonprofits listed to receive donor’s contributions. You can visit the website and find a good place for your donation to support if you’re at a loss about which type of charity you’d like to benefit.
Instead of highlighting the worthy nonprofits which serve low-income elders, I’m looking at Colorado Gives Day with a different goal in mind – to raise awareness about reaching out to socially isolated elders in our communities. I’m not just talking about making contact with folks who reside in senior housing residences, assisted living or skilled nursing facilities, but also to those elders who are “gaining in place” in their own homes and face considerable social isolation based on a number of factors.
What About Donating Your Time?
One way to ease an isolated elder’s isolation and also solidify our own connections with community members we might never have otherwise met – is to volunteer our time – even if for a few short minutes or hours.
You can easily volunteer your time locally through a nonprofit like Metro Volunteers, who will match your skills with a nonprofit looking for someone with your skills. Whether it is a board of directors position you seek, a mentoring opportunity with a youth, or serving food to people at a shelter – Metro Volunteers can assist.
But the focus of today’s post is about giving time to an elder who is isolated.
There are numerous article and research into the effects of loneliness on the elderly population. One recent study concluded that loneliness is a significant public health concern among elders. In addition to easing a potential source of suffering, the identification and targeting of interventions for lonely elders may significantly decrease physician visits and health care costs.
Decreasing an Elder’s Sense of Isolation Helps Prevent Elder Abuse
I’m reposting a link from an elder abuse prevention listserve I am part of, originally posted this morning by the Social Media Manager of the NYC Elder Abuse Center at Weill Cornell Medical College. The holidays are difficult times for many of us. She writes “During the holiday season, family gatherings are more commonplace. Older adults feel social isolation more acutely, yet crave the connection. This holiday season NYCEAC is asking our social media followers to commit to have a conversation with an older adult in their life during the month of December. We know everyone benefits from a connection, and improves the health of the community at large, too.” We’re calling our campaign Countering Isolation, or #CounteringIsolation.
Remember that this type of giving of our time to another who doesn’t have the physical, psychological, financial or emotional wherewithal to engage in the broader community is a good thing with many positive benefits for us, Happy Giving Tuesday!
© Barbara E. Cashman 2017 www.DenverElderLaw.org