and friends is another key to growing old grace-
fully. The comfort another person can give goes a
long way toward fighting off feelings of loss and
frustration. It's especially helpful to seek support
from fellow seniors who may be experiencing the
very same things.
When a friend isn't available to offer that sup-
port, seniors can link up with other seniors
through the peer counselors program sponsored
by Catherine McAuley Health Center. According to
Carol Wischmeyer, coordinator of Services to the
Elderly, peer counselors are trained to provide so-
cial support for other seniors. She says the coun-
selors help seniors in a variety of ways, whether it's
through one-on-one counseling, visiting bedridden
patients, or helping someone straighten out their
finances.
"The peer counselors who volunteer their
time say they benefit from this program just as
much as the seniors they help," Wischmeyer says.
"The program has been a greater success than we
ever imagined it would be."
Give service to others
Probably one of the most fulfilling aspects of
growing older is having more time and oppor-
tunities to reach out to others.
Father Tim Dombrowski, a chaplain at St.
Joseph Mercy Hospital, has spoken frequently to
senior groups about faith and spirituality "Faith is
staying alive and being useful, being of service to
others," he says. "One of the things I try to empha-
size to seniors is 'Don't tell me about your limita-
tions and what you can't do, tell me what you are
able to do for others:
"If you can't visit somebody or take them a hot,
baked apple pie, you can still write them a letter or
give them a phone call," Father Dombrowski
continues.
"It's important for seniors to reach out to oth-
ers and share the gifts and talents they've been
given," says Gina Frankhart, therapeutic recreation
specialist at Mercywood who works with patients in
the Older Adult Program. "I can't imagine what
feels better to most seniors than to know they are
helping someone else."
"Even for those who are very inactive, it is still
possible for them to be useful to others," adds
Bruce Kerr, MD, a staff physician at Catherine
McAuley Health Center who has worked with many
seniors. He has suggested to some of his patients to
do something special, no matter how small, for
each of their grandchildren. "Maybe you have some
special words, or you want to leave them some-
thing to remember you by Think about what you
want to say to your grandchildren because those
words will live after you," he says.
As Sister Marilyn sums it up, to grow old grace-
fully means to accept or work around limitations
and do things "that make your life personally fulfill-
ing." Through that sense of fulfillment, you can
learn to maintain your vitality, spirituality and
positive self esteem. And you can learn that, as
Browning writes, the best is yet to be. c
-/eanine Gillikin
Young or Old, We All Need to Relax
Life at any age can be full of daily stresses and
strains. They tense you up both mentally and phys-
ically They prevent you from really getting in touch
with yourself.
A great way to help you get back in touch with
yourself is to use relaxation techniques. For the
young and old alike, what follows are some helpful
relaxation techniques to try
1. Find a quiet environment, away from any
distractions.
2. Relax in a comfortable position. Lay on a mat or
bed or sit in a comfortable chair.
3. Play peaceful music in the background or try a
record that plays relaxing sounds such as waves
lapping on a beach or birds singing in the
woods.
4. Focus on tensing up groups of muscles (such as
those in your arms) and then relaxing them. Re-
peat this throughout the muscles in your body
5. Breathe deeply. When you're anxious, breathing
tends to be shallow. Taking deep breaths allows
more oxygen to circulate through your blood,
which will relax you.
6. Imagine yourself in a pleasant place: on a beach
or up in the mountains. Use all of your senses as
if you were really there.
7. Practice positive thinking. Become aware of your
thoughts.
8. Relaxation is a skill that must be practiced. Prac-
tice the techniques that work best for you twice a
day for 20 minutes each session. If this isn't pos-
sible, make an effort to practice some relaxation
technique daily
A 45-minute audiocassette tape on relaxation
has been produced by the Mercywood Recreational
Therapy Department and the Health Center's Office
of Health Promotion and will soon be available to
the public. Classes on stress management are also
available. For more information, please call the Of-
fice of Health Promotion at 572-3675. OLD
5