One of the most exciting, and fulfilling, aspects of living within a retirement community is built right into the name– the sense of community itself. The idea of creating an environment that is welcoming and projects a feeling of familiarity and family is one of the central tenets and hallmarks of the strongest communities, and not just those for Cincinnati seniors.
However, moving into a retirement community doesn’t mean cutting off ties with your old life or even abandoning the dynamic lifestyle you knew.
As with life before retirement, life after the big move can, and should, be filled with the same kinds of outreach programs and socially engaging activities that bring people together and help those in need. While you will find yourself surrounded by new faces, you’ll still be able to continue serving and assisting those who need it most.
Cincinnati Seniors Stay Active and Engaged within the Community.
From the time they choose which community to join, Cincinnati seniors can find themselves involved in any number of great causes for the ideas and beliefs they hold most dear.
Recently, as part of a senior CAPSTONE project, a Mount Notre Dame High School student sought the help of 3 of Cincinnati’s most respected and preeminent retirement communities to address a unique, but often overlooked issue.
Encouraged to address problems plaguing those less fortunate, the student focused her attention on poverty stricken areas. Noticing a severe lack of functional, and more importantly, sanitary, means of receiving and keeping much needed medications and antibiotics safe and clean, they searched for a way to solve a problem many had overlooked.
Within the communities most affected, the much needed assistance, provided in the form of donated medications, only solved half the problem. While the medications would indeed reach their destination– the hands of families and individuals who so desperately needed them– keeping them safe, clean, and stored in a sanitary manner was impossible, as they were regularly handed out only to find their way in to pockets of soiled clothing or dirty, overused baggies.
And though they would reach those most in need, the medication would frequently get lost, oftentimes before they could be taken and achieve their intended effect.
What was needed was a way to store them after they were dispersed, helping to guarantee their use, and to provide the aid and relief they were meant for— a way to keep medications safe, secure, and sanitary.
As part of the program created and lead by the Mount Notre Dame students, seniors from 3 separate retirement communities came together to donated over 5,000 empty pill bottles to be recycled for less fortunate families—2,000 more than the original 3,000 goal.
Cincinnati seniors are helping make community programs an unmitigated success.
The wild success of the pill bottle program shows just how easy it is for Cincinnati seniors to get involved in community projects. And while this is only one example of the opportunities retirement communities offer, it illustrates perfectly how it can be the small things that are the biggest help for those in need.
Finding a retirement community that holds those same values can be a way for you to remain active in your town and stay connected to the world around you.
Transition doesn’t mean giving up the activities that have been close to your heart. Many retirement communities offer their own similar community service and outreach programs, so it’s never difficult to find new ways to get involved, too.
In fact, activism, volunteering, and community service can be a necessary part of mental and emotional wellness— and they’re also good indications that a community is strong, vibrant, and aware of the needs of those around them.
