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QUALITY OF LIFE FOR SENIORS
No expiration date on the heart Research study examines later-life love stories BY PAUL SINKEWICZ
Love has a way of surprising. Sometimes it comes when it’s least expected, and no matter the age at which it finds you, it definitely has the power to change lives. Dr. Sarah Knudson is listening to a lot of love stories these days. She is conducting a study on Later-Life Recoupling and Intimate Relationships. The purpose is to gain a better understanding of re-entry into longterm relationships for people aged 55 and older. Knudson is a sociology professor at St. Thomas More College at the University of Saskatchewan. She became interested in the topic a few years ago while doing a study on matchmakers and dating coaches. A lot of the clients were middleaged and older adults who were repartnering. She realized there was a need to find out more about that group of people. “Not a lot of research had been done on people in their 50s and beyond who are getting re-partnered,” Knudson said. “There’s so much more focus on people who are partnering or marrying for the first time.” No w h a l fw ay t h r o u g h h e r interviews, Knudson has talked to people in their mid-90s who found love in their 80s. “It’s really amazing how many participants have said when I asked them what has been the most surprising about their relationship, it’s just that it happened,” said Knudson, “That it’s possible, that they found love again, and that they’re having this whole new chapter in life.” She said some of them, by virtue of their age, or having been widowed, were at a point where they had given up on meeting somebody. “A lot of the participants have just been taken by surprise through a new relationship and it’s a whole new world, a whole new chapter,” said Knudson. “Everybody’s life stories have been so interesting, and even though people have such diverse lives, there are still patterns in those lives and that’s what a research project like this is trying to get at.” LOVE ON THE DANCE FLOOR Fr a n k S e n g a a n d L o u i s e McW h i r t e r a r e n o t p a r t o f Knudson’s study, but shared the story of how they were surprised by love later in life.
Both had reached the age of 60 and found themselves alone and lonely. Senga had recently retired due to his health, and McWhirter had been focusing on her grandchildren since her husband passed away 11 years earlier. Both separately decided to take ballroom dancing classes. It was on that hardwood floor at the Royal Canadian Legion branch that they met in 1992. “We had fun and we loved it,” said McWhirter. After a couple years of meeting each other at lessons and dances, they started seeing each other socially. It became their routine to travel around the province to dances and polkafests each week, revelling in each other’s company. “Sometimes we would dance three days in a row,” said McWhirter. It soon made sense to move in together and share McWhirter’s Avalon home. Both are 87 now and have spent 27 happy years together, sharing holidays with Louise’s four children and 11 grandchildren. “They knew we were happy,” McWhirter said of the golden years love story. “Everybody accepted it right away.” MEETING THE OLDFASHIONED WAY Knudson’s study is a semistructured interview format with some general questions or themes, but participants are free to talk and elaborate on the areas they find important to them. The interview can go in many directions. “People will talk about serious discussions they had about living arrangements or finances or health. Also, about blending families and estate planning,” said Knudson. “Some are big topics and potentially stressful things. Also, what’s been the most surprising thing? What have you learned from this relationship? What’s been the most fun? And just wondering what their expectations and goals are for this relationship.” One big thing asked is their history of prior long-term relationships and the history of their current long-term relationship. What was going on in their lives, and were they open to meeting somebody? Intimacy is a very personal topic, but Knudson said participants are showing a willingness to discuss the full spectrum of intimacy issues,
Frank Senga and Louise McWhirter met on the dance floor in their sixties, and have now spent 27 happy years together. SUPPLIED PHOTO
SCOA continues to connect with seniors BY ELIZABETH IRELAND
Sociology professor Dr. Sarah Knudson. SUPPLIED PHOTO
including companionship and sexuality. “It’s a theme that comes up in every interview,” she said. “I didn’t want to push it going in, but a lot of people are very much emphasizing that intimacy is a big part of their relationship, and it’s a big part of their happiness in their new relationship.” Knudson plans to present her findings at sociology conferences over the next year or so, and will then publish them in an appropriate journal. She is also interested in beginning to plan a similar exploration of re-coupling among older same-sex couples, another demographic that deserves more attention from sociologists, she says. For the current study, Knudson is inviting any interested volunteer participants to contact her at sarah. knudson@usask.ca. Participants must be 55 and older, in a heterosexual relationship, reside in Canada, repartnered within the last five years and together with their current partner for at least one year (although participants do not have to be living together with their current partner). All names and information gathered remains confidential.
Older adults are being particularly impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Social dis tancing measures are designed to keep older adults safe but put them at high risk of losing vital everyday connections and becoming socially isolated. June Gawdun is the long-time executive director of the Saskatoon Council on Aging (SCOA). Due to COVID-19, Gawdun explains that the non-profit organization’s regular activities and planned special events are postponed. These include SCOA’s popular Grand Old Opry Zoomer Style annual fundraiser at the Western Development Museum (postponed until October 21) and its annual Caregiver Forum (now scheduled for November 20). The organization’s annual Spotlight on Seniors is still scheduled for October 6. SCOA’s Grand Old Opry Zoomer Style event has raised approximately $45,000 for the organization each year. Gawdun is relieved that the performers originally booked for the March event are still available on the new October 21 date. “SCOA has applied for funding grants for COVID-19 support and we are also accepting donations. Funds raised help our organization continue to provide services to isolated older adults. If you know of seniors in the Saskatoon community that need help, let them know that SCOA can assist them. Our donors enable us to get older adults the help they need during this pandemic,” says Gawdun. “For health and wellness, it’s crucial for older adults to stay connected. To respond to the challenges of COVID-19, SCOA has organized an extensive resource list on the main page of our website. It contains upto-date information on government
and local resources, news releases and information directories. The directories relate to food delivery, pharmacies, support services, pet care and technology support. We are also giving out information of where seniors can get help over the phone if they don’t have access to SCOA’s emails, electronic newsletters or website,” says Gawdun. SCOA has launched a Telephone Visit program aimed to connect older adults with friendly volunteers to chat over the phone. Funding support for the program is provided by the Government of Canada’s New Horizons for Seniors Program and the United Way of Saskatoon and Area. “The opportunity to have a telephone visit lets older adults know they are not alone and that someone is there to look out for them. If you know of an older adult experiencing social isolation, SCOA can connect them with a telephone buddy. Older adults can register for the Telephone Visit program by calling 306-652-2255,” says Gawdun. On Thursday, May 28 at 1 p.m., SCOA and the University of Saskatchewan will present an online musical featuring local musician Harreson James. To view, go to www.scoa.ca and click on the link on the main page. “The goal of the musical is to get together online and have a bit of stress-relieving fun! Along with some great tunes, we’ll also be releasing the new fall 2020 schedule for all the Senior Neighbourhood Hub Clubs in the city and letting participants know how to sign up for online groups discussing topics such as opera, gardening, books or ageism,” says Gawdun. To make a donation to SCOA, or for more information on programming, call 306-652-2255 or go to www.scoa.ca and www.saskatooncaregiver.ca.
Help is on the way BY DARLENE P OLACHIC
For more than three decades, Saskatoon Services for Seniors (SSFS) has been offering a variety of services to help older adults and people with physical challenges continue living in their own homes. Initially the services were limited to housekeeping and yard work; today SSFS offers a wide range of specialized services that correspond to the needs of today’s aging population. Given the COVID-19 restrictions that are currently in place, these services are even more essential. Though SSFS has been operating for 32 years, executive director Richard Bell says it appears to be one of the city’s best kept secrets. “But as the size of our aging population increases, demand for services like ours will only grow, especially for low income seniors.” Help with housekeeping is still SSFS’s most requested service. It’s a paid service, but SSFS adjusts the fee according to the client’s income. “We cater to the level of need and what the person can afford,” Bell says. “We never want cost to be a barrier for seniors. Our ability to subsidize our costs is dependent on what grants we receive.” Due to COVID-19 protocols and reduced access, SSFS’s housekeeping services are somewhat limited, but they continue with strict safety measures in place.
During the pandemic, Saskatoon Services for Seniors (SSFS) has seen a big increase in requests for its grocery delivery service. GETTY IMAGES
The organization’s yard work service, however, is in high demand. “We do spring and fall clean-up, regular lawn cuts, fertilizing, and some gardening,” Bell says. “Lawn cutting fees average $10 to $25 a cut which is substantially lower than fees charged by lawn care businesses.” Some of the outdoor work is delivered through the Urban Camp Program, an initiative conducted in partnership with the corrections facility. Because of COVID-19 recommendations that older folks avoid going out in public, SSFS is seeing a marked increase in requests for its grocery delivery service. Bell says, “Our service is a bit different because we will shop at whichever store the client prefers. The amount we charge for the service is minimal, and if the client has mobility issues, we will not only deliver the groceries, but put them away as well.”
SSFS also provides handyman service for minor fixes, eavestrough cleaning, window washing, and the like. “But no major renos,” Bell says. The most frequent request is for the installation of grab bars and railings. One of SSFS’s no-charge services is a free income tax program where seniors with an income of $45,000 or less can have their tax return e-filed at no cost. Another free service is the Friendly Caller and Isolated Senior Program under which nursing students and social work students volunteer to phone isolated seniors to establish human contact, chat, and let the senior know they’re not alone. Saskatoon Services for Seniors is licensed and insured, and all its personnel are trained and reliable. During COVID-19, all staff follow proper social distancing and strict safety protocols. They use personal protective equipment as prescribed for COVID-19, including face masks and gloves. Hands are sanitized before and after each contact; gloves are changed after every job. Saskatoon Services for Seniors is primarily funded through donations and grants. “We rely on cost-of-service fees to cover the overhead,” Bell says, “and we gladly accept financial donations.” For more information, visit www. saskatoonservicesforseniors.ca.
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QUALITY OF LIFE FOR SENIORS COVID-19 highlights need for changes to elder care: SSM
BY CAROL T ODD
While the COVID-19 virus has left death and, in many ways, destruction, in its wake, it may also have set the stage for potential positive changes to the way our society cares for its elderly population, according to the umbrella agency that brings together seniors’ organizations in Saskatchewan.
Holly Schick, SSM executive director. SUP P L I E D
The need to self-isolate and take other steps to guard against the spread of the virus can be especially difficult for seniors, says Holly Schick, the executive director of the Saskatchewan Seniors Mechanism (SSM). The issue of older adults and isolation was already front and centre for the organization when the virus landed in our province. It’s a key issue in the Age-Friendly Communities campaign SSM launched a couple of years ago. The campaign is part of a global movement with a goal of making communities safer, smarter, healthier, happier, more in-
clusive places for all people to live and thrive. Schick says one of the issues that has arisen as a result of the virus is the need to balance safety with personal freedom. She cites the example of a nursing home that was requiring its patients to stay in their rooms. “One of the interesting things that we’re seeing, and getting comments from people about, is the real difficulty of balancing some kind of personal freedom and safety with institutional needs and protection of people, residents and service providers. That’s a significant issue,” she says. The COVID-19 pandemic has also led SSM to reiterate its continued call for a provincial, or national, strategy. “The pandemic has really revealed just how important it is for our provincial government to develop and implement some kind of comprehensive plan to support and enable positive ageing,” Schick says, adding the pandemic has “shone the light” on what she terms the most fragile and vulnerable places in our whole continuum of care, nursing homes. At the same time, Schick says Saskatchewan people have a long tradition of helping others. “There is great willingness and eagerness by people in communities to support one another and to find creative ways to reduce isolation. You hear that people want to help others. They want to be out there, whether it’s getting groceries for their neighbour, or you hear of people doing the drive-bys to celebrate a birthday or what-
ever,” she says. While much of the discussion around protection against COVID-19 has focused on the physical side, there are also mental health issues that can result from isolation. The Government of Canada website says there are numerous potential effects, ranging from fear of contracting the disease to senses of helplessness, loneliness and depression. The government website suggests a number of steps that can be taken to help alleviate some of the stress of isolation. The suggestions include taking a break from social media and the news and staying connected through emails, phone calls and social media, as well as maintaining physical and mental health through stretching and meditating, eating properly and getting enough exercise and sleep.* For more helpful tips, visit the SSM website at skseniorsmechanism.ca, under the Age Friendly Saskatchewan tab. While there are numerous suggestions on how to keep in touch while self-isolated, Schick says they aren’t always available for seniors who may not have access to a computer, or may otherwise be unable to use social media or other programs to keep in touch—some may not even have a cell phone. Face masks can pose particular problems for those with a hearing impairment who rely on lip-reading, while other disabilities may also limit options—arthritic fingers can’t text for example. Schick suggests using our phones the old-fashioned way and
Self-isolation to protect against COVID-19 is especially difficult for seniors. Letters from family and friends are sure to brighten their day. GET TY IMAGES
talking, rather than texting or going online. While not all nursing homes permit packages to be dropped off, Canada Post says that, because of the length of time the virus lives on surfaces, letters and most other parcels are safe. Schick suggests putting together a package of writing materials, envelopes and stamps to give to someone to help them to keep in touch. “Writing letters and that could be great. I had someone say that the mom had written letters to the children and what a neat thing that was to connect in that particular way,” she says. Schick is pleased that at least one of the stressors of
the pandemic is being addressed by the Government of Canada—the financial aspect. “We’ve seen how supportive the governments have tried to be in supporting people through the financial crisis and what a vital role that is,” she says, adding that, like an overarching strategy to address ageing, there is a need for continuing that financial assistance after the crisis over. “How do we continue to provide, so that older adults and others, indeed, have the kind of level of income that folks need to have basic quality of life?” she says. For many people, the fact of change alone is stressful, but Schick is hopeful there
will be positive change coming on the heels of the tragedy of COVID-19. “I think there will still be a great tendency to swing back to the way we’ve always done things and the way it was before. But I think it’s a great learning opportunity for us. And I think there are things that probably will continue on and that we will have learned that will, hopefully, make our society a better place for older adults, and for others, which is what age-friendly communities is all about.” *https://www.canada.ca/ en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/mental-health. html
What the COVID-19 Pandemic has revealed
Support systems for older adults are fragile and vulnerable! Governments have a vital role in supporting older adults: ! During a crisis; ! After a crisis; ! ALL THE TIME
STRATEGIZING FOR POSITIVE AGING IN SASKATCHEWAN
Saskatchewan Needs a Plan! www.skseniorsmechanism.ca