When
social trends are emerging there are no experts. A sharing
of experiences, stories, observations and personal reactions
can move us rapidly from patches of information to a quilt
of solutions or at the very least positive action. Think of
this section of the site as a series of conversations over
coffee. A topic will be explored; you can respond. Patches
of the new reality quilt will be presented on the site over
the coming months. When we miss an issue that you feel is
going to influence our work and lifestyles in the near future
please offer it for discussion.
Successfully Aging Generation of Entrepreneurs
When you care for parents you cannot avoid thinking about
your own elder years. It is easy to be clear about what we
do not want our lifestyle to be like but not as easy to picture
how we will be living. It is one of the topics many women
want to leave under the rug. If we do not decide how we want
to live "someone" will eventually decide on our behalf.
Successfully
Successfully is not a word that we associate with aging
as it is active and positive: it implies having and exercising
power. Popular expressions about aging imply lack of power,
endings, out of touch, weak and ill, over the hill, sweet
little old lady, no spring chicken, one foot in the grave
etc. In future months the truth behind the stereotypes of
ageism will be discussed but the main purpose of S.A.G.E.
is to ensure that we can be ourselves throughout our lives.
Aging
What does aging mean? Often while caring for a parent you
must try to distinguish between a health challenge to be addressed
and an aging factor that must be accepted. For example, we
accept that stairs are a common reason for an older person
to give up their home. If asked why you would probably answer
that they are frail and have lost coordination and muscle
strength. We just "know" this. Would you be surprised to learn
that the problem with stairs is often caused by a change in
depth and colour perception in the eye. The eye sees the stairs
as a mass of colour with no shape or depth. One caregiver
addressed the problem by removing the carpet on her mother's
stairs and replacing it with no skid tile. The tread of each
stair was tiled in a different colour. Her mother no longer
had difficulty in seeing the stairs. Of course no one example
applies to every situation. The point is to put aside preconceived
ideas and judge the reality and options of each situation.
Generation
Many women alive today in Canada will live to be more than
100 years old. Technical and medical developments well on
this side of the horizon will soon be able to reverse many
of the issues associated with aging. An aging population is
a world wide trend; it would seem that this is the moment
in our time to consider our options.
Entrepreneurs
Developing life style options for the coming large generation
of elderly women seems like a perfect challenge for entrepreneurs
of all ages. For both new and experienced business owners
the demographic shift will provide many new opportunities
to adapt existing products and services and to create new
ones to serve this growing market. For Boomer women the opportunities
will have a very personal benefit.
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