A Lovely Piece of Mail!

© Imelda Maurer, cdp October 14, 2015
    ilmcdp@yahoo.com

Yesterday’s mail included a card from Sister Antona, a Sister I know whose Congregational mother house and administrative offices are here in the St. Louis area. Its message was “Come visit me at my new home!"  This elder Sister, whom I have visited before when she was living in an apartment complex, has now moved to a retirement center where she is receiving the supportive services she needs.

I love that this Congregation has shared this “new address” information with Sister Antona’s friends. That action reflects the recognition of the primacy of relationships at every stage of life.  It says in its own way, ‘hey, I’ve moved.  I have a new address.  But what was important to me in the past –keeping in touch with friends, maintaining relationships – is still important, so I want to continue to stay in touch!’

The letter also indirectly says that life is more than ‘good care.’  That phrase is often the stock response of a person evaluating a nursing home where a friend or family member lives:  “They get good care there.”  I wrote about that in an earlier post on this blog.

The card also reminded me of the goal of true, transformational culture change in communities that provide aging services:  We want the biggest change that an elder experiences when s/he moves to an aging services community to be just that:  a change of address. We want to still be at home ---- home which is a place where privacy, respect, security, choice, continuing one’s chosen daily routines, autonomy spontaneity and grace are part of every day. I hope that’s true for you, Sister Antona!  I’ll be over to visit very soon!