This morning I awoke, so relieved. It had only been a dream: I was the only one in a large house far from civilization taking care of a 97 year old mother who lay in bed recuperating from a stroke.
I awoke not in a house a mile from a small town, but I was in Morningside Village, where a call to another volunteer, a neighborhood market, a crisis social worker if need be, a janitor, or/and a neighbor can provide care-givers with a good degree of relief from the manifold challenges of looking after a frail elder at home. After experiences with my mother, a year ago, I dreamed of an organization like Morningside Village, where people helped one another to care for elderly relatives/friends in an at-home setting. I read about the “village” movement where residents help elders to grow older in their own homes. Most of these were in suburban settings.
When we formed Morningside Village, we had no idea that the urban environment might be more conducive to living with a frail nonagenarian. But, it probably is! For anyone wanting to take-in an elder relative or friend who needs care, I would say Morningiside Village is the place to be!
Irene Zola
Tags: aging in place, community organizing, eldercare, eldercare village, elderly, seniors, Volunteers
