The Enterprise — Michael Koff
Ready to ride: When Cindy Wadach, left, pulls to the curb to pick up Colleen Hassett, she puts her flashing lights on so that Colleen knows it’s the right car. Colleen can’t distinguish colors.
The Enterprise — Michael Koff
Serious walker: While Colleen Hassett teaches Pilates at the Guilderland YMCA, her husband, Steve, goes for a four-mile walk outdoors. He does a 12 minute mile.
The Enterprise — Michael Koff
Role model: Facing a mirror, Colleen Hassett leads a Pilates class at the Guilderland YMCA.
The Enterprise — Michael Koff
Colleen Hassett leads a Pilates class at the Guilderland YMCA.
In the course of three days in June 2010, Colleen Hassett lost her eyesight. After two weeks in the hospital trying to figure out what happened — several diseases and conditions were tested for: multiple sclerosis, lupus, scleroderma, vitamin deficiency, etc., etc. — all tests proved negative.
Colleen was a nurse and knew better than most how to navigate the medical field. After she was sent home, she saw a neuro-ophthalmologist. She’s also seeing a retina specialist and a vision therapist.
On a recent visit to her doctor he said, “You are a miracle.”
Optic nerves do not heal. Hers has to a degree.
“Now,” says Colleen, “I have some vision. So the question is: Do you go further trying to figure out what happened?”
What does her life look like? What kind of help does she need?
Colleen can’t drive, hike, or see color; she’s reluctant to go on vacations in strange places. She graduated from a Northeast Association of the Blind program. “I can cross streets and I can take a bus,” she says.
Colleen teaches yoga and Pilates at the Guilderland YMCA. When she lost her sight and for four months, she took time off. Then the Y urged her to come back. She could ask the class members for help if she needed something, they told her.
Friends; relatives; neighbors; and her husband, Steve, took her places. She contacted Community Caregivers and was approved for service, but she didn’t need us then with all her friends and family helping her. When her family left, Caregivers came back into the picture.
Her husband had a goal for her: Get out of the house every day. So Caregivers and friends and her husband take her to doctors’ appointments, the Guilderland Library where she reads and chooses new books, the YMCA where she teaches and works out, shopping centers, etc. Usually CC provides one-way transportation and her husband or friends do the return to home.
At home, Colleen has a room, a studio really, where she meditates, chants, does yoga, and prays. She cooks. When she reads, which she does a lot, she holds the book very close to her eyes.
With corrective lenses her vision is 20/60 and 20/400. As you can realize, Colleen is dependent on others. She’s used to giving help, not taking it. And she worries how people are responding to her.
“I’m essentially still the same,” she says. “Asking for help is horrible. Not being able to drive is a big deal, and it makes me feel older just because most people who don’t drive are older.” Colleen was 51 when she lost her sight.
Consummate volunteer
This story came about as a result of a project the Community Caregivers staff took on for the gala fundraiser in November 2016. Certain care receivers and volunteers agreed to complete a questionnaire that would be used to highlight and inform gala attendees of the kind of work CC does. Colleen; her husband; and Cindy Wadach, her Caregivers volunteer, came to the event. Colleen and Cindy stood and read their stories to the audience.
Cindy started volunteering with Caregivers in 2006. Prior to that, as the director of Senior Services for the town of Guilderland, she made transportation referrals to CC. She said she was so impressed with the organization she decided to volunteer with us when she retired.
However, that year her brother died unexpectedly. “As a way of channeling my grief…and as a way to honor his memory” she said, she made time to volunteer while still working full-time — about two hours a week.
Then in 2013, Cindy did retire and called Mary Morrison, the Client/Volunteer coordinator at Caregivers, and said, “Give me more clients.” One was Colleen
Cindy has three regular clients, volunteers about 12 hours a month for CC, and averages 200 miles of driving. Cindy actually volunteers for five organizations, including Caregivers: the Guilderland Food Pantry, the Guilderland Public Library, the Guilderland Chamber of Commerce, and Home Delivered Meals out of Albany County.
In Colleen’s case “…an unexpected fringe benefit occurred,” said Cindy. They became good friends.
Both have a good sense of humor. Both love seeing live dance performances as well as “Dancing with the Stars.” They’re both vegetarians and have the same favorite pizza restaurant. They also have friends in common.
Cindy says she’s always had the volunteer spirit. “The most important thing in life is helping people,” she says. “I’m fortunate and in good health. I want to share what I have.” There’s a social component, too, she says. “I can’t stress that enough.”
I asked Cindy why she thinks it’s hard for people to ask for help. “In a word – Pride,” she said. “People don’t want to admit they need help. They would say, ‘Others need help more than I do.’” Cindy’s advice is “Reach out. There’s strength in admitting you need help.” She believes, if the situation were reversed, help would be given.
Since Cindy has been transporting Colleen, some role reversals have occurred. They went to see a common friend who was in hospice, she recalled. “That was a time when Colleen helped me. She was emotionally stronger. A few month back,” Cindy added, “I wasn’t feeling well. Colleen and her husband came and took me to Urgent Care.”
As an almost full-time volunteer, Cindy admits it feels good to know you’re needed. “Volunteering makes you feel so good,” she says. “I’m surprised more people don’t do it.”
Colleen’s experience with Caregivers isn’t typical, nor is it unheard of though. Mary Morrison said there are eight to 10 clients who have received services over a period of years. The same volunteer could take you to the Y, for dialysis treatment, or visit with you, for instance.
Marriage bond
The final part of this story is about Colleen’s husband, Steve, who is also a caregiver.
When his wife called him to say her vision just got blurry, Steve told her to call the ophthalmologist. The next time Colleen called him, it was to say her vision was really bad; things were gray but she could still see light. The third time she called, and since the doctor didn’t have room for her, they went to the emergency room.
As Steve reflects on this event, he remembers trying to be calm and trying to imagine what his wife was seeing. He said, “As a caregiver, you can only stand there and watch. You feel helpless.” Steve watched as the hospital staff checked for everything under the sun to figure out what happened to Colleen’s sight.
Once all the tests were over and no critical issues were evident and he knew she wouldn’t die, he started to reorient her. He saw her other senses were noticeably enhanced. When they walked in the hall, for example, she could feel where the doorways were because of the difference in the air temperature.
During this time, Colleen’s father died. Steve didn’t tell her. The hospital was still performing tests to determine what caused her loss of sight.
When Colleen went home, she was shaky. The first day, she passed out; two days later, the same thing happened. Apparently, this was due to the meds and anxiety.
During this time, Steve says, “I was scared.” Once the meds got adjusted and Colleen was more stable, people started reaching out to her. “You have no idea the number of people who volunteered to help,” he said.
One such person was a neighbor who was connected to the New York State Commission for the Blind. His job, Steve said, was to assist people with impairments. “His observation was that Colleen was already doing 95 percent better than most people he visited.”
Also during this time, Steve said he felt afraid. “You worry about your partner. What happens if she’s gone? You wouldn’t really think this way at our age.” Steve was 52 at the time.
He took two-and-a-half months off from work. When he did go back, it was to a different job and then only half time. He kept that arrangement for a minimum of 10 months.
On the home front, Steve’s goal was to get Colleen out of the house every day. When he went back to work full-time, he knew enough to not overextend himself. But travel was tough. Fortunately, his new job with Union College allowed him to shift fields so he didn’t have to be away.
From Steve’s perspective being a caregiver takes patience. His mother had Progressive Supernuclear Palsy, known as PSP, so he had experience helping her.
Steve, who is a member of the New York National Guard, said, “In sports and at work and in the military, I am proactive,” he said. “I am not a patient guy. I don’t wait for the ball to come to me.” He confessed, “The hard part is not doing something because of her.”
As Steve considers this journey, he shared his philosophy: “Compromise — it’s not just about me, it’s about us.”
They talk over decisions, although he said they always did that before. And he tries to anticipate issues. He tries to protect Colleen physically and psychologically. In the back of his mind, though, his fear is, “What would happen if something happens to me?”
Throughout all of this, people are in the wings. “People step up,” he said. “My faith in humanity hasn’t always been there.”
Postscript
Since the initial interview with Colleen and Steve, I’ve learned more. Colleen’s sight has improved from the original event, but she still can’t see expressions on faces or the colors red, orange, and pink. She has to be close up to see.
At one pizza place she frequents, they have ingredients you can choose listed in the front of the window case. She can actually see her choice. She rejoices at this thoughtfulness.
Colleen volunteers at the Food Co-op every Friday for about four hours. “They’re wonderful,” she says. “They’re kind. They provide a challenge.” She meets customers and helps them. A neighbor volunteers at the co-op at the same time and takes Colleen with her.
Colleen emphasizes she really doesn’t want to rely solely on her husband. “That’s why Community Caregivers and my friends are so important.”
Steve and Colleen are frequently at Starbucks. Steve says it’s a relaxing space for him and a place where they can socialize. “It’s like the show, ‘Cheers’.”
Community Caregivers may be able to help you if you need assurance visits, transportation, respite, shopping, assurance calls, paperwork, chores, meals, light housekeeping. Services are provided by volunteers, there is no fee for services, and we help all ages. Volunteers decide what services they will provide and when they’re available to help. The office team connects the clients and volunteers. To learn more go to the website: www.communitycaregivers.org or call (518) 456-2898 to find out more about our services and to volunteer.
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Each April, our organization, Community Caregivers, celebrates National Volunteer Month with a luncheon and program with a guest speaker. We like to think (although you would need to a confirm this with one of our volunteers) that we appreciate Community Caregivers’ volunteers year-round. About 50 volunteers usually attend this fun event, which this year is on Wednesday, April 26, at the Hampton Inn in Albany.
Treating each volunteer like a treasure is also in our best interest; our service model of “neighbor helping neighbor” is totally volunteer-driven. While our professional staff offers program guidance, day-to-day help is generously provided by volunteers. We encourage Community Caregivers volunteers to serve on schedules that fit into their busy lives.
Nationally, we know that 62 million Americans — about one-quarter of the adult population — volunteers during a given year. We also know that that percentage has fallen off a bit in recent years: volunteerism reached its peak in the years following the 9/11 attacks.
Locally, we still find the desire to serve community and fellow citizens in need to be strong. We offer volunteer orientations twice a month in our office and other sessions upon request.
Individuals may find us through word of mouth, or often, through The Altamont Enterprise. We also have a partnership with the Service Learning program at Albany Medical College where future physicians volunteer with us.
We seek to work with area employers, like the State Employees Federal Credit Union that offer release time for their employees to volunteer during the work day. In addition, Community Caregivers participates with our local RSVP program, which places volunteers age 55 and older in interesting and varied volunteer roles at agencies throughout the Capital District.
If you or someone you know wants to know more about volunteering with Community Caregivers or wants tips to get started volunteering, please feel free to contact me at .
We really hope that you can find the way that is right for you to give back to your community.
Community Caregivers Inc. is a not-for-profit organization that provides non-medical services including transportation and caregiver support at no charge to residents of Guilderland, Bethlehem, Altamont, New Scotland, Berne, Knox and the city of Albany through a strong volunteer pool of dedicated individuals with a desire to assist their neighbors.
Our funding is derived in part from the Albany County Department for Aging, the New York State Office for the Aging, and the United States Administration on Aging. To find out more about our services, as well as volunteer opportunities, please visit www.communitycaregivers.org or call us at (518) 456-2898.
Editor’s note: Linda Miller is the Outreach and Education coordinator for Community Caregivers.
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— Photo by Greg Goutos
All smiles: Ruth Cawley, right, is awarded a raffle prize bay Amélie Ribesse, an exchange student from Belgium who attends Guilderland High School.
— Photo by Greg Goutos
Wearing red jackets, Guilderland High School Key Club members, Victoria Nemeth and Kayleigh Chamberlain, serve an Italian dinner to Omni resident Rose Lundgren.
GUILDERLAND — The 16th Annual Italian Night at the Omni was held on Saturday, April 1. The event was sponsored by Community Caregivers, a not-for-profit organization based in Guilderland.
Over 50 residents of the Omni Senior Living Community on Carman Road in Guilderland enjoyed a complimentary three-course Italian dinner, served by several students from the Guilderland High School Key Club. Staff members from the Caregivers’ office and other volunteers assisted with the food preparation and the serving of the meal.
This year’s theme was “Spring is in the Air.” The Omni community room was decorated with colorful banners, and each table had a vase of daffodils to brighten everyone’s spirits. After the meal, Omni residents took the flowers back to their rooms.
The evening began with the introduction of Mary Therriault, one of the co-founders who started the Community Caregivers organization in Altamont in 1994. She welcomed the seniors and talked about the types of services the organization offers that might benefit them, as well as ways they could get involved, such as serving as volunteers.
Community Caregivers, located at 2021 Western Ave. in Guilderland, provides non-medical services to Albany County residents by matching local volunteers with nearby clients.
After dessert was served, the seniors waited in excited anticipation to hear if their names were called out to receive one of the many raffle prizes generously donated by area businesses. A special moment for all was to have the prize handed out by Amelie Ribesse, an exchange student from Belgium who attends Guilderland High School.
We would like to acknowledge the efforts of the 13 volunteers who participated, with a special thank-you to Key Club students Victoria Nemeth and Kayleigh Chamberlain, as well as Amelie Ribesse.
Staff members from the Caregivers’ office who helped coordinate the event and prepared portions of the meal, included Mary Morrison and Petra Malitz. Also involved were Nancy Griffith, Mary Therriault, Tom Morrison, Sandra, Mary DeAngelis, and Nellie and Greg Goutos.
Special recognition is due to Mary McGann, the Omni resident who has helped as the on-site coordinator for the event for the past several years.
Much of the food for the dinner was generously donated by area restaurants. We especially acknowledge The 99 Restaurant on Wolf Road for its ongoing support. Also, thank you to Bountiful Bread and to Stewart’s for their contributions.
Raffle prizes were donated by these local businesses: Carman Wine & Liquor, Robinson’s Hardware, Candy Kraft, The Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza, Pizza Gram Plus, Marotta’s Towne Pizza, Bamboo Chinese Restaurant, The 99 Restaurant, Price Chopper/Market 32, Hannaford, and The Altamont Enterprise.
For more information about Community Caregivers, please contact the office at (518) 456-2898, or online at communitycaregivers.org.
Editor’s note: Greg Goutos is a Community Caregivers volunteer.
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With the state’s new Paid Family Leave program set to begin in January 2018, the state Workers’ Compensation Board and the Department of Financial Services filed their regulations for implementation of the new law. The regulations will provide guidance for employers, employees, and insurance carriers about their responsibilities and rights under the law.
Paid family leave will be available for three major categories: care for a newborn, care for a family member with a serious medical condition, or providing care while a family member is away for military service.
Workers are expected to provide employers 30 days’ notice with a request for paid family leave unless an unexpected medical situation developed.
A new website provides information on medical documentation required for taking the leave: www.ny.gov/paidfamilyleave
The program opens on Jan. 1, 2018 and employees who have worked for at least 26 weeks with their employer on a full-time basis or 175 days on a part-time basis. Employees are able to take up to eight weeks off at half of their salary.
The benefit will be phased in over four years when employees are eligible to take up to 12 weeks off in 2021. In 2019 and 2020, employees can take up to 10 weeks off. The program was passed last year by the State Legislature and provides some of the most generous benefits of those states that have similar laws.
Community Caregivers Inc. is a not-for-profit organization that provides non-medical services including transportation and caregiver support at no charge to residents of Guilderland, Bethlehem, Altamont, New Scotland, Berne, Knox, and the city of Albany through a strong volunteer pool of dedicated individuals with a desire to assist their neighbors.
Our funding is derived in part from the Albany County Department for Aging, the New York State Office for the Aging and the United States Administration on Aging. To find out more about our services, as well as volunteer opportunities, please visit www.communitycaregivers.org or call us at (518) 456-2898.
Editor’s note: Michael Burgess volunteers for Community Caregivers.
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Community Caregivers is cosponsoring two interesting community workshops for lifelong learners this month.
The first is on Creating a Meaningful Retirement and is designed for individuals who are contemplating retirement or who are recently retired. This workshop will explore the changing definition of retirement and its transformation by the Baby Boomer generation.
We offer this workshop with our cosponsors — the Bethlehem Public Library and Bethlehem Senior Services — and expert presenters Jon Allen, retirement transition coach, and Audrey Seidman, spiritual director. It will be held Tuesday evening, March 21, at 7 p.m. at the Bethlehem Public Library.
If this topic intrigues you, as it has the Baby Boomers in our office, please register by calling the library at (518) 439-9314 or by going online at www.bethlehempubliclibrary.org
For the second workshop, we are joining forces with Albany Medical College’s Division of Community Outreach and Medical Education, the Schaffer Library of Health Sciences at Albany Medical College, and the Guilderland Public Library. The workshop, Navigating the Healthcare Maze, will be held on Saturday, March 25, at 11 a.m. at the Guilderland Public Library.
Participants in this workshop will learn how to navigate online health information and ask important follow-up questions during medical appointments. Many of us are confused by medical terminology but are reluctant to ask for clarification.
This interactive workshop will help participants become effective health advocates for themselves or on behalf of a loved one. This workshop is funded in part by the National Library of Medicine, the National Institutes of Health under a cooperative agreement with the University of Pittsburgh, and the Health Sciences Library System.
You may register for this valuable health-information workshop by calling the Guilderland Public Library at (518) 456-2400 or by going online at www.guilpl.org.
Offering educational programs to community members is part of Community Caregivers’ ongoing mission. We hope that each of these programs sparks interest and good conversations.
Please join us. Consider volunteering with us. Studies show that being a good neighbor and volunteering can lead you to live a longer, healthier, happier life!
We offer a welcoming and flexible volunteer experience, helping our neighbors with everyday needs. Sessions for prospective volunteers take place in our office at 2021 Western Ave. in Suite 104. The sessions last about one hour and registration is required.
Orientation sessions are offered the first Tuesday of spring months — April 4, May 2, or June 6, at 10 a.m. They are also offered at noon on the third Thursday — April 20, May 18, or June 15.
For more information or to register, call (518) 456-2898 or go online to .
Community Caregivers Inc. is a not-for-profit organization that provides non-medical services including transportation and caregiver support at no charge to residents of Guilderland, Bethlehem, Altamont, New Scotland, Berne, Knox, and the city of Albany through a strong volunteer pool of dedicated individuals with a desire to assist their neighbors.
Our funding is derived in part from the Albany County Department for Aging, the New York State Office for the Aging, and the United States Administration on Aging. To find out more about our services, as well as volunteer opportunities, please visit www.communitycaregivers.org or call us at (518) 456-2898.
Editor’s note: Linda Miller is the Outreach and Education coordinator for Community Caregivers.
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Some of us of a certain age remember the days when doctors used to make house calls with their black bags. Well, things have come full circle.
In this high-tech age, when health care seems more complicated, some local Medicare Advantage plans have arranged to provide home-based services to those with multiple chronic conditions. What health providers have discovered is that those persons with the greatest needs will do much better if given this kind of intensive attention at home and it will avoid the need to go to a hospital or use more expensive services.
The home-based team often includes physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, pharmacists, dietitians, and social workers. The team is not meant to replace the patient’s primary-care doctor but rather to provide follow-up care and to implement a plan of care coordination.
Other efforts are underway to provide better care coordination even if home visits are not involved. Many providers are calling their patients when they return home to make sure they are connected to the follow-up care needed for them to remain at home and improve their health condition.
Some hospitals are also considering adding community-services providers in the hospital to help coordinate care for the person when he or she returns home.
The services of Community Caregivers, of course, also help people remain living at home. We are working more closely with medical providers, giving our advice on the best ways for the coordination of medical and community services for those persons returning home from the hospital.
In the coming year, we are hoping to work with them on developing and training volunteer patient navigators who could be available to provide assistance with the follow-up and coaching to make progress with a care plan.
Community Caregivers Inc. is a not-for-profit organization that provides non-medical services, including transportation and caregiver support at no charge to residents of Guilderland, Bethlehem, Altamont, New Scotland, Berne, Knox, and the city of Albany through a strong volunteer pool of dedicated individuals with a desire to assist their neighbors.
Our funding is derived in part from the Albany County Department for Aging, the New York State Office for the Aging, and the United States Administration on Aging. To find out more about our services, as well as volunteer opportunities, please visit www.communitycaregivers.org or call us at (518) 456-2898.
Editor’s note: Michael Burgess is a health policy consultant for Community Caregivers Inc.
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The term “family caregiver” refers to an individual who assists and supports an adult family member with chronic or disabling conditions. There are variations on this definition, but a key point is that most family members don’t recognize themselves as caregivers; they simply “help Mom.”
Caregiving is a role that can sneak up on you, as someone you love needs more help over time — whether navigating health-insurance coverage, paying bills, or preparing healthy meals. Caregivers gradually find themselves doing more and devoting more time to these tasks.
Family caregivers who have their own lives to attend to need all the help they can get; however, about half get none at all.
Although those who provide care may feel they are alone, in reality there are a lot of us out there. According to a November 2016 American Association of Retired Persons Public Policy Institute Report on family caregivers, entitled “Family Caregivers and Managed Long-Term Services and Supports,” about 40 million caregivers provided an estimated 37 billion hours of care to adults with self-care needs in 2013.
The economic impact of family caregiving is enormous. The report goes on, “The economic value of this unpaid help was approximately $470 billion — more than six times the amount ($75 billion) that the Medicaid program spent on all home- and community-based services that year.”
The report also notes, “The emotional, physical, and financial demands of caring for a person with chronic and disabling conditions can take a significant toll; meanwhile, family caregivers often neglect their own health.”
There is a saying that caregiving is a marathon, not a sprint. So taking care of one’s own needs is critical.
Despite our desire to “do it all ourselves,” forming a team of support and care — around your loved one and you — can create a positive difference in the long haul of caregiving. Community Caregivers perhaps can be part of the support team you put in place.
Through our volunteer network of “neighbors helping neighbors,” we provide rides, friendly visits, and help with shopping or errands. We also offer support groups, information, caregiver education, and referrals. All of this is provided without charge. Call us at (518) 456-2898 to find out if we can be of assistance to your family.
Community Caregivers Inc. is a not-for-profit organization that provides non-medical services, including transportation and caregiver support, at no charge to residents of Guilderland, Bethlehem, Altamont, New Scotland, Berne, Knox, and the city of Albany through a strong volunteer pool of dedicated individuals with a desire to assist their neighbors.
Our funding is derived in part from the Albany County Department for Aging, the New York State Office for the Aging, and the United States. Administration on Aging. To find out more about our services, as well as volunteer opportunities, please visit www.communitycaregivers.org or call us at (518) 456-2898.
Editor’s note: Linda Miller is the Outreach and Education coordinator for Community Caregivers.
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We’ve just come off at least two months of gift-buying and gift-giving. Special days with deep discounts vied for our dollars: Black Friday; Cyber Monday; Small Business Saturday; and, new this year, Choose Women Wednesday. Among these days was Giving Tuesday — the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving.
At this time, a message went out from the Community Caregivers office which said, in part, “As the holiday season swings into full gear, it’s good to know you can support a local organization that faithfully serves community needs year round. We serve our neighbors throughout the year who need rides, shopping assistance, friendly visits, caregiver support and more to live independently at home.” And what we’re most proud of, “Since 2010 over 300 of our volunteers have provided 19,000 services to more than 500 individuals. That’s a lot of caring.”
I’d like to suggest that we all have lots of “Giving Tuesdays.” That we make giving a year-round activity. The same joy you get in giving gifts occurs when you give money to not-for-profits.
Dr. Oz said in the December issue of Oprah Magazine, “Donating to an individual or a group can make you feel great.” He goes on to say that research shows givers are happier than people who just spend on themselves. And, in fact, the brain’s reward processing center lights up when people give.
Let me suggest some reasons to give:
— In honor of an anniversary or birthday;
— For a favor someone did for you;
— For a service someone did for you and wouldn’t accept payment;
— To say thank you; and
— Just because I want to do something great today.
I know there are lots of other reasons to support Community Caregivers. Be inventive.
In this day of widespread internet use, there are also sites that donate a percentage of what you pay. PayPal matched 1 percent of any donation through the PayPal Giving Fund offer. Year round, for Amazon shoppers, there’s a link that donates to a charity of your choice.
Of course we hope you choose Community Caregivers. Select Smile.amazon.com from your web browser on your computer or mobile device. On your first visit to Smile, you need to select a charitable organization — “Community Caregivers” — before you begin shopping. Amazon will remember your selection. Then, order as normal. Part of the purchase price — half of 1 percent — goes to the charity. And that doesn’t cost you anything.
We’ve been helping neighbors faithfully year-round since 1996. One way you can insure we continue our services is to make a donation with your checkbook or online. You can also go to our website, which will give you instructions on how to make a donation: www.communitycaregivers.org.
Not all can become volunteers to help people. Probably all can make a donation that helps insure we stay in business.
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Albany County has been selected to join the World Health Organization’s network of Age-Friendly Communities. This global network is facilitated by the American Association of Retired Persons in the United States with the goal of enhancing the quality of life for older residents.
In 2020, just three years away, there are projected to be 75,000 people in Albany County who are age 60 and older, or almost 25 percent of the county’s population. So, planning for housing, transportation, and other services increasingly needs to consider the needs and desires of older people.
In the coming months, the county will work with local senior leaders to review the criteria used by the WHO and AARP, assess the county’s strengths and needs, and determine how enhancements can be made in services and programs. I will be serving as a co-chair of this effort.
Community Caregivers looks forward to assisting the county and the towns and municipalities in this process. We can share information on the services we have provided as an organization of “neighbors helping neighbors.”
We believe our mission to support older residents who wish to remain living in the community is a shared goal of all government entities and senior-service providers. While government funding through aging and health services will always be a key force in ensuring a good quality of life for vulnerable seniors, we believe that voluntarism and grassroots community projects like the “village” concept are important personal and local responses to helping family, friends, and neighbors.
The board of directors of Community Caregivers has endorsed supporting self-help villages or neighborhoods that are developing in the county to provide a network of support for those who may not have family members in the area or simply want to remain connected with others.
Certainly, in planning for an aging population, we need to remember that, while older people may have increasing service needs, they are also an asset to our communities. Many are still able and desiring to serve, whether through providing rides, friendly visits, or helping with chores and shopping.
Many are active grandparents who also are there to help their children and grandchildren. In preparing for an age-friendly community we are really improving the quality of life for all residents.
Community Caregivers Inc. is a not for profit organization that provides non-medical services including transportation and caregiver support at no charge to residents of Guilderland, Bethlehem, Altamont, New Scotland, Berne, Knox, and the city of Albany through a strong volunteer pool of dedicated individuals with a desire to assist their neighbors. Our funding is derived in part from the Albany County Department for Aging, the New York State Office for the Aging, and the United States Administration on Aging.
Editor’s note: Michael Burgess is a Health and Aging Policy Consultant to Community Caregivers.
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Why volunteer?
Joel Edwards says it’s a way to put his faith in action.
Joel’s first assignment from Community Caregivers was to pick up a sample of urine at 6 a.m. and deliver it to a doctor’s office. The woman lived alone, Joel recalls, and she didn’t drive.
As a doctor of veterinary internal medicine with a specialty in cardiology, he volunteered around his job. Finding time to volunteer, he said, “…wasn’t easy. The administrative part was ‘schedulable’; the service part was weekends and early morning.”
Joel’s connection to Caregivers started in 1993 when he and a friend of his wife, Cindy, Mary Therriault, were exploring ways to put their faith in action. Joel said, “I stumbled across an Interfaith Caregivers Program.”
Robert Wood Johnson was trying to establish units of caregiving throughout the country. So the next two years, 1994 to 1996 saw an organization forming — Community Caregivers. And it began providing services in 1996.
In the early years, an organizing committee was formed; 10 people were handpicked — ministers, nurses, people in the community who had gifts and the desire. They were connected through the four (at the time) churches in Altamont, Joel explained.
When asked how he recruited people to become volunteers, Joel said that the group went to churches and civic organizations like the Lions, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the American Legion — “anyone who would listen to us.” He said, “Nowadays, when I’m talking with someone, I’ll just ask them to consider volunteering.”
Joel himself has performed administrative services: a founder, twice president of the board of directors, treasurer, and chairman of the Grant Team. Direct services he’s provided include transportation, respite care, visits, and some home repair.
“It doesn’t matter what I do,” he said. “Having the ability to give back is what’s important.” He did say transportation, “volume-wise” was the service he spent the most time on.
“Visiting,” another service Caregivers provides, “is,” he said, “a different relationship with the care receiver. In a way, it’s more rewarding. You get to listen to the person’s story.” He explained that folks who receive visits are usually alone, not able to socialize, and not having an adequate social life.
“You realize,” he observed, “you’re just a little piece of the puzzle; you’re not going to fix it.”
When asked for a memorable experience from all his years of connection to Caregivers, Joel told this story. Early in 1994, when Caregivers was organizing, he was driving on the Taconic, “…feeling overwhelmed, mumbling away. Out of my radio came, ‘Go forth with boldness.’ I reached down to shut off the radio, and it was already off.”
Ever since, Joel has done exactly that. He is no longer on the administrative end of Caregivers, but he is still on the service end. Joel says, “The aging population is increasing. There is a socio-economic stress of, often, both adults working. And our families aren’t near. We need volunteers. We always need more volunteers.”
Joel says, “One of the beauties of the organization is you can freely say ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ No guilt. Trust me, they will call again.”
As you begin to think about what goals you have for the new year, why not consider finding out more about community Caregivers? Go online to www.communitycaregivers.org, or call the office at (518) 456-2898 to inquire about an orientation. Or talk to Joel Edwards. He knows a lot.