24 - Sunday, Juls &, ALL lution. 1990 - North Shore News THIS time [ve been thinking in terms of social revo- Noi the kind with pike staves and rocks thrown, but the evolutionary kind that would emerge from techno- logical advance and the dawning of peaceful exchange. Matriarchs and patriarchs would fead the way through the morass and the world would blossom like the rose. Who could not be encouraged to such a view, looking around at the increased attention to us old folks? We're courted and catered to, our opinions sought. Why, just think of the M Day and the F Day — they used to come once a year, when the aged were due for a litte appreciation. Nowadays there’s a day for seniors every week. Just bring your purse. At last it has sunk in — we're a market. We're a blooming in- dustry. It came to me whilst I was attending a recent Canadian Mar- tgage and Housing symposium on seniors’ housing. There was no such thing a few short years ago. Seniors were housed variously in the Old Folks’ Home, the poor house, or the spare bedroom in the children’s establishment. You tried to move in with your kids lately? Now, designs proliferate. Choices abound. And all sorts of thoughtful people are engaged in fitting us into the living space best suited to our nows and our futures. ALE kinds of facets were being examined in these three days of conferences — the many reasons why present space is now untenable; what we ancients want in the way of recreation and cul- tural facilities; our degree of mo- bility; our economic strength. I was impressed with the imagi- nation and warmth of spirit and plain tough dealing that these people from all over the province brought to the problem of where we could be happy and content. There were a lot of positive views expressed. It's a given that we are living longer, due to science and our agreeing to aban- don some of our cherished bad habits; but it was news that we are living longer heartily and that we are less frail and therefore less in need of care facilities. But living heartily demands suitable shelter, with suitable amenities deliberately designed to keep us mobile — small things, Book focuses on birth order From page 23 Richardson. **And when one twin couple divorced, generally the other twin couple divorced.”' Both Richardson and his wife are only children. He said the research into the book, part of which was done by Austrian psychologist Walter Toman, helped the two of them understand each other more. “Maybe nine years ago this in- formation made a personal impact on us. In fact the first person we read was Toman, and it was like he had taken words right out of our mouths,”” said Richardson. “It helped us to understand the way we are because of our sibling positions. 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Her garden is the focus of her life. That sort of lite would be intolerably lonely for another person, and the psychologists say loneliness is as harmful as any other disease. What is needed, perhaps, in- stead, is group housing, 14 or 15 small houses with one extra-care house in their midst. Then there's house-sharing, where we both contribute, we both feel needed. we both find esteem. {It comes down to some straight thinking. How do you see your life in the next years? What are your resources, both in personal fibre and money-wise? How im- portant to you are company and entertainment? Do you want to be grouped, or do you want fo stay in charge as far as possible? You must think seriously about yourself, about the possibility of changes in your life. There were interesting reports steed Tong wn she wants and ie them begging for. more!’” ad “Limited Engagement 7 July 18 duly: 22s. - er Mainland Eaton’s and . jajor malls = CALL (604) 280-4444 ter people trom Terrace. Peabland, Neloo, Parksville. all Posisely engused in kheepine seniors ine ther own communities and as active therein as they wanted to be, ‘ In Salmon Arm, tor instance, providing housing was out of the question for money Jack, but an increase of services to seniors fiv- ing in their own homes was entire- ly feasible. They went for meals-on-wheels, wheels-to-meals, small house tepairs and garden maintenance, and offer all sorts of opportunities to still active seniors for volun- teering. Where do you get the money for all these needs? The B.C. Seniors Advisory Council is a start, as is the Office for Seniors in the Ministry of Health. There is Canada Employment, with whose help students can be hired, their pay shared with the government. And there are all sorts of fertile members of associations such as the Old Age Pensioners Associa- tion, the National Pensioners and Seniors Federation, the Council of Senior Citizens, all of them with experience in funding successes. trast