Dad and His Pals

Dad has belonged to the Masonic Lodge for many years. Although I do not agree with their beliefs, Dad has formed a number of strong friendships through the organization. Their fall season has arrived and Dad's meeting schedule has increased.

Because of his eyesight, he is dependent on others for rides. Although I am willing to give Dad rides to his meetings, he has a friend named Roger, who since last year has taken Dad to numerous meetings in our small town and to neighboring towns. This week Dad was at two meetings, one locally and the other out of town.

The reason I am writing about this on a site devoted to elder care is that I think it is important for Dad to get out of the house. He needs to interact with friends even though his eyesight and hearing loss prevent him from being as active as he would like.

Several of the guys at the temple quite often give him a ride home after meetings, but Roger has taken a greater step. He picks Dad up and takes him all over the place as they visit other lodges. By doing so, he has given Dad something to look forward to in an otherwise dull lifestyle since the loss of his wife.

This blog today is a thank you for all those who are willing to go out of their way to help someone who cannot do for themselves. Dad would love to be able to drive, to travel when and where he wants, but circumstances prevent him from doing so.

Because Roger is willing to drive out of his way to make sure Dad can visit others from around the area, Dad has something to look forward to. When he returns home he can think about the guys he talked to and the topics they discussed rather than sitting around feeling depressed because of his health situation.

That is a good thing! Thank you, Roger, and all others who are willing to take a step up and help an aging senior stay actively involved in his community.

The photo above is the Masonic Temple in Detroit.

What are you doing to help seniors stay active? What would you like to do to help out?