What to do when your adult children say ‘you should move’ (or if you’re the one saying mom, you should move).

So, you want to tell your aging parents they should move. Good luck with that!

Instead, tell them about the Village to Village Network because it takes a village to age in place. http://www.vtvnetwork.org.

Last Saturday the BI Senior and Community Center hosted a well-presented 4-hour community discussion on creating our own village, an infrastructure that incorporates as a non-profit to foster aging in place.

While every village is unique, commonalities usually include a single paid ‘go-to’ person, who can give contact information for community resources, (such as Kitsap Senior Information and Assistance, 1-800-562-6418), but also arrange home-delivered services, set up transportation and appointments, and broker vetted care providers and home maintenance.

Keynote speaker Ken Pyburn from Portland (where there already have nine) pointed out that it can be imprudent to have a volunteer plumber or electrician. But screened providers serving an organized community could provide discounted services in a consolidated area.

Paid professional care is crucial. I don’t want some well-meaning volunteer helping me in my home. And I sure as heck am not going to volunteer to clean a frail elder’s home. In addition to hiring professional caregivers and home help providers, we need to honor and reimburse helpers respectfully.

I recently heard a rant complaining about paying someone $40 to mow a yard. How can someone support a family making $40 per yard mowing? People doing necessary work should make a living wage, as well as benefits such as retirement, sick and vacation.

Prescient Waterfront Park Community Center Manager Sue Barrington has already bought a url for our local ‘village’. Check out the website at http://www.bivillage.org and call the Senior Center at 842-1616 to sign up to receive information about future meetings. The link to videos is also quite useful.

A Village to Village network is an important step towards keeping my boomer cohort out of nursing homes! And the perfect answer to adult children urging their parents to move.

Jeannette Franks, Ph.D., your friendly neighborhood gerontologist

Speaking on March 13 in Maple Valley and April 9 in Seattle

Aging in Place in Your Community

The Seattle-King County Advisory Council on Aging & Disability Services and
Maple Valley Community Center invite you to attend a special forum on livable communities

Friday, March 13, 2015, 11:00 a.m. sign-in | 11:45 a.m.–1:00 p.m. lunch & speaker

Greater Maple Valley Community Center 22010 SE 248th Street, Maple Valley

For directions, visit http://www.maplevalleycc.org/about/directions.php or call 425-432-1272.

featuring
Jeannette Franks, PhD, Gerontologist

Jeannette Franks is the author of To Move or To Stay Put: A Guide for Your Last Decades, a book that helps older adults and families make better decisions about aging and living options. Jeannette has taught ethics, grief and loss, and geriatrics and gerontology courses at the University of Washington, and she served for nine years on the Area Agency on Aging Advisory Council in Kitsap County.

A low-cost lunch is available. For lunch reservations, call 425-432-1272.

Aging in Place in Your Communityphoto 4

The mission of the Seattle-King County Advisory Council for Aging & Disability Services is to identify the needs of older people and adults with disabilities in our community; advise on services to meet these needs; and advocate for local, state and national programs that promote quality of life for these populations. http://www.agingkingcounty.org/advisory-council

Invitation to book signings

Sat. Nov. 29, 2 pm at Eagle Harbor Book Co.

Thur. Dec 4 at Office X-Pats, 2nd floor, the Pavilion, festive beverages and snacks

Get free tickets at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/book-signing-at-bi-pavilion-office-xpats-the-perfect-holiday-gift-tickets-14485140445?utm_campaign=new_eventv2&utm_medium=email&utm_source=eb_email&utm_term=eventurl_text

or send me an email at jfranks1@comcast.net

http://jeannettefranks.org

Sunday, Jan 4, 2 to 4, book signing at Liberty Bay Book Co.

A non-profit endeavor:

any profit from this 2nd edition will go to Sustainable Bainbridge.

Now available at Eagle Harbor Books, Liberty Bay Books, University Bookstore, and this website too.

The second edition is coming in 2 weeks.

To Move or To Stay Put: A Guide for Your Last Decades

book cover

I’m still mastering web construction, therefore at this point if you would like to order one for $15 including tax and postage, please email me at jfranks1@comcast.net

But if you are one of my wonderful dozens of cousins and stumble over my just-now-created web site, please ask for one for free.

JF2A Thank you, Cindy McGregor for taking this photo!

Thank you, Jeannette Franks, PhD