Mrs. Matthews, Linda Coble, and I just celebrated our birthdays. I’m not going to say how old we are but I will say that we’ve had our AARP cards for quite a while. We are boomers and our generation has often been referred to as the “Me” generation. That may have been appropriate at some point in our lives and it may still be an apt description for some, but I get the feeling that more and more of us are looking for ways that we can give back to a community, a society that has done so much for us.
Many of our heroes have gone so we have to look to each other for inspiration. I find it each week in the people I get to talk with on the Elderhood Project. The people from the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), Project DANA, Meals on Wheels, SCORE and countless other organizations rely on the efforts of volunteers to continue their good work. I applaud them all.
During the past weeks on the Elderhood Project, we have focused on providing seniors with the tools they need to “age in place,” to remain active members of their communities while living at home. Ke Ola Pono, a chronic disease self-management program is a perfect example of that. The program offers a free six-week workshop called Better Choices, Better Health that helps people living with any ongoing health problem.
In the coming weeks, we also will learn more about Sage PLUS and its efforts to encourage seniors to be pro-active in their health care. What’s new in affordable housing for seniors in ‘Ewa? And February is National Heart Month, an important topic for all of us—regardless of age.
I hope you’ll join us for the news every Thursday at 5:30 a.m. or 5 p.m. on KHON2 TV. Tune in to find out the latest information of importance to seniors and their caregivers. And happy birthday to Mrs. Matthews! Though we were born on the same day in the same year, somehow she got to be 10 years younger. Go figure!
Aloha ~ Kirk Matthews
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