Page 2 - Senior Times South Central Michigan April 2021 - 28-04

Page 2 Senior Times - April 2021
TAKING THE “LONELY” OUT OF LIVING INDEPENDENTLY
By: Tim Mitchell, Senior Care Partners P.A.C.E.
As it is for many older adults, living independently was a very lonely time for 81-year-old Dan Peterson. That is, until he had an unexpected encounter with
Norah’s mom know Mr. Peterson’s wife passed away six months earlier, that he had been very sad, lonely, and deeply depressed ever since and his encounter with Norah was the first time she had seen him smile since his wife died.
She continued, “I just didn’t think this lunch should be the end of the friendship. So I asked if it would be all right if Norah and I continued to have weekly visits and he said he would be delighted and we’ve seen him every week since. He’s part of our family now and I think we’ll be friends until the end of his days. Seventy-eight years separate these two people in age, but somehow, their hearts and souls seem to recognize each other from long ago.”
an extraordinary individual. It happened unpredictably in a grocery store isle of all places. Tara Wood was grocery shopping with her four-year-old daughter, Norah, when the young girl seated in the shopping cart shouted, “Hi, old person!” at a despon- dent looking elderly man she had never met before. Mr. Peterson, although surprised, responded with similar enthusiasm, “Well, hi little lady!” They chatted for a few min- utes before going their separate ways. Then Norah asked her mom if she could take a picture with her new friend. Since it was Norah’s fourth birthday, her mom agreed and the pair went back to find the man to ask him to take a photo with little Norah.
Mrs. Wood asked the reader to pass along Mr. Peterson’s contact information
so that she could reach out to him. “I called him the next day and he was tickled to
hear from me,” Mrs. Wood conveyed. “We talked for about 20 minutes and he told
me what it meant to him and what he had been going through and I asked if we could take him out to lunch that Friday. His voice cracked and I could tell he was getting emotional, but he said he would love to.”
There are thousands of “Dan Petersons” in the world today – older adults who live independently, but are exceedingly lonely. Something as simple as a conversation in
a grocery store can brighten their day. Or, weekly visits from a new friend can change their world.
“When we found him and asked him,
he took a step back and put his hand on
his chest and said, ‘You want a photo with me?’” Norah’s mom recalled, “He was shocked and sort of delighted and Norah said, ‘Yes, sir, for my birthday.’” After tak- ing the photo, Norah and Mr. Peterson chat- ted for a few more minutes. When it was time to go, Mrs. Wood told Norah to thank the man for being so friendly and agree- able. So she thanked him and he said, “No, thank you! You’ve made me the happiest I’ve been in a long time,” as tears filled his eyes.
When Friday rolled around, Norah and her mom went to Mr. Peterson’s house to pick him up. She continued, “He looked like a completely different person. He had gotten a haircut and trimmed his eyebrows and he was wearing slacks and a but- ton-down shirt – he had dressed up for us like we were coming to court him.”
Much like Dan Peterson’s life was changed, Senior Care Partners P.A.C.E. has changed the world for hundreds of older adults who desire to continue to live independently in their own home instead of residing in a nursing home. Senior Care Partners P.A.C.E. helps take the “lonely” out of independent living by not only pro- viding the social connection many seniors need, but also a full array of health and well-being related services to enable older adults to continue to remain safely in the home they love. As one caregiver said, “You were the reason Mom was able to continue to live in her own home. Thank you for the services you provide. I don’t know what I would do without you!”
Mrs. Wood later wrote about the pleas- ant encounter on a Facebook page, which caught the attention of someone who knew Mr. Peterson. The reader responded to let
each other it was just like the most natural thing in the world. I was in awe. Norah got ketchup all over her face and he wiped it off and he even let her finish his chicken nuggets.”
To learn more about how Senior Care Partners P.A.C.E. can help you or family member please call (269) 441-9319 or visit www.seniorcarepartnersmi.org.
Mr. Peterson had even set up a little table with paper and crayons in his garden where Norah sat and made art for his refrigerator before the group headed out to lunch. Mrs. Wood said, “We ended up spending three hours with him that day. He and Norah chatted like they had known each other forever. There was no getting to know
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• Physical and Occupational • Quality Medical Care • Socialization
Therapy Services • Social Services • Support for Caregivers
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