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Integrating Seniors into Community Life
August 16, 2023 @ 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM CDT
Integrating Seniors into Community Life
Wednesday, August 16, 2023
- Pacific: 8:00-10:00am
- Mountain: 9:00-11:00am
- Central: 10:00am-12:00pm
- Eastern: 11:00am-1:00pm
Join longtime communitarian Laird Schaub to explore the ways seniors can contribute and how to best integrate them into community life.
About the event
All community members—seniors included—are encouraged to contribute volunteer labor to the maintenance and well-being of the community. That said, there can be anxiety (among both seniors and non-seniors) about whether seniors will be able to pull their weight.
But, not all labor has to involve work that requires a strong back or long hours, like mowing the lawn or mopping the common house floor. Other types of labor can be through governance and leadership, like team management, meeting facilitation, and even website maintenance. Even if you live in a senior community, and physical tasks are the most challenging to accomplish, you still have options, like paying for services to help in those areas.
Though it will vary by community, most groups honor contributions in all arenas. The important thing is that you discuss the terms of your participation and how your community can expect you to contribute, while considering safety and cognitive decline issues at the same time. There is the potential fear of losing autonomy, disappointing your neighbors, or wanting to serve in familiar ways when it is no longer feasible, but building relationships in community can help to alleviate some of these stressors and give you the support you need.
In the Integrating Seniors into Community Life workshop, we will tackle how to lay the ground rules for your participation in community tasks as well as how to establish strong relationships with others to build your social capital.
In this workshop, you’ll:
- learn how to start having conversations with your community about integrating seniors
- explore safety and cognitive decline considerations for your community
- consider the synergy of intergenerational populations and the affect on your community
About your presenter
Laird Schaub
Laird’s specialty is up-tempo inclusive meetings that engage the full range of human input, teaching groups to work creatively with conflict and diversity—all the while being ruthless about capturing as much product as possible. He lived for four decades at Sandhill Farm, an income-sharing rural community that he helped found.
Laird also helped found the Foundation for Intentional Community, where he served as the main administrator for 28 years. In 1987, he created a self-insurance fund for healthcare among income-sharing communities called PEACH (Preservation of Equity Accessible for Community Health) that he ran for 22 years.
In addition to his expertise in community living, he’s parlayed his passion for good process into a consulting business focused on cooperative group dynamics, styled CANBRIDGE (Consensus And Network Building for Resolving Impasse and Developing Group Effectiveness), since 1987.
Read his blog Laird’s Commentary on Community and Consensus.
Location
You’ll get the Zoom link after you register in your confirmation email. Please check the spam folder of the inbox you use to register for an email from orders@ic.org.
The Online Event Experience
Live Zoom Sessions
Nothing pre-recorded here! When you sign-up for an event with FIC, you’ll have the opportunity to join a live session on Zoom with the event presenter/facilitator and other participants.
Affordable and Accessible
All our events are run on a sliding scale basis. Generous donations cover the costs for low-income attendees. FIC is committed to making our programs accessible to people of all walks of life.
Watch the Recording
You’ll receive the recording of your event to view for 60 days. So don’t worry if you can’t attend a live session. Watch or listen whenever it is convenient for you. Transcripts available upon request.
Registration
