Mercy Care's new Age-Friendly Communities Education Network

Dec. 21—LAKE PLACID — Mercy Care for the Adirondacks launched a newly created Age-Friendly Communities Education Network in 2022.

"The whole goal of this program is to help ease and relieve the isolation and loneliness of elders in our community," Donna Beal, executive director, said.

"So we're trying to bring together elders and our volunteers to have these engagements in meaningful, educational opportunities that they might be interested in."

With grant support from Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, Mercy Care for the Adirondacks held its first Age-Friendly Communities Education Network Volunteer Retreat on June 16.

A "Creativity in Aging" all-day Volunteer Retreat was hosted and facilitated by Mercy Care at Mt. Pisgah Lodge in Saranac Lake.

Staff and Community Friendship Volunteers from Mercy Care in the Tri-Lakes region, Community Health Center of the North Country in St. Lawrence County, and from Elizabethtown Community Hospital in Southern Essex County attended.

Mercy Care saw the need to develop the Age-Friendly Communities Education Network to provide ongoing technical assistance, in-service, and retreat programs to its direct service volunteers, as well as to all newly-established and existing Age-friendly Community Friendship Volunteers.

"We also invite our other collaborating partners that we have established with Community Health Center of the North Country, Elizabethtown Community Hospital, and St. Alexander's Church in Clinton County to have a broader relationship for elders and volunteers to enjoy certainly within the Tri-Lakes, but we're also reaching out to those collaborating partners where we've helped them establish and operate their own Community Friendship Volunteer programs," Beal said.

"We have different volunteers in different communities throughout the North Country, and the reason we're doing that is to help more elders age in place more successfully. So by helping other communities, other healthcare institutions or faith communities start their own programs, Mercy Care is helping more elders in the North Country than just what we can help with our direct service volunteers here in the Tri-Lakes."

Mercy Care is providing technical assistance, training, and tools to help communities in the North Country to establish and operate their own Community Friendship Volunteer programs to help older adults age in place more successfully.

Creating more Age-Friendly Communities for people to age in place more successfully requires broader objectives to carry on the long-term, ongoing process of assessment, engagement, and collaboration.

Communities need to better plan and develop the services to meet the needs of older people, families, and caregivers.

Mercy Care presented three Creativity in Aging Workshops with a goal to provide volunteers with new ideas and strategies to help the elders they assist have fuller lives: — "Creative Writing with Older Adults," offered by Tyler Barton, ADK Center for Writing, Saranac Lake. — "Tupper Tale Tellers: Tupper Lake Oral History Project" presented by Christine Campeau Project Manager; Hayley Denis, original T3 member/alum; and Courtney Carey, Library Director, Goff Nelson Memorial Tupper Lake Public Library. — Yoga offered by Beth McNally, Earthshine Yoga, Saranac Lake.

Through an evaluation survey, participants commented: — "I loved meeting other volunteers. I liked the face-to face interactions."

100% of respondents said it is very likely they will share the creative skills, techniques or information with their Elder Friends.

And 100% of respondents said they found the Creativity in Aging Workshops and information relevant to help their Elder Friends enjoy a fuller life.

In November, Mercy Care hosted a "Seasonal Tea & Craft Social" at Paul Smith's College, Visitor Interpretive Center, which featured a Bird Watching student presentation and attendees had a chance to craft their own birdhouses.

"It's not just a series of workshops per se, but the underlying goal is to connect people to their communities, to provide friendship opportunities and socialization, especially after the long-term impact of the corona virus on people of all ages who had experienced isolation and loneliness," Beal said.

"And isolation and loneliness is now recognized as a social determinant of health. It's really unhealthy to be lonely and isolated, and these are ways we have developed to bring people together."

Email: rcaudell@pressrepublican.com

Twitter@RobinCaudell