by Wayne Harrigan

Created on: February 01, 2011   Last Updated: February 05, 2011

Older citizens are eager to share their wisdom and experience, but often there is no means of doing that. Or so they think. Here’s an idea which has worked in our area, one we hope you will consider.

Some communities have committees of seniors who act as advisors for issues which affect older citizens. If your community does not, here are some suggestions for setting one up.  Approach your municipal government officials to propose the idea of having a seniors’ advisory committee. This may be a new concept, but it’s worth exploring. It makes no difference how large or small your community is, this will work regardless.

So what’s the point? A seniors’ roundtable is a voluntary group of older citizens who will meet on a regular basis to discuss issues of interest to this demographic. It will be composed completely of volunteers, so there will be no cost to the community. It helps if the people on the roundtable represent groups of seniors in the community. On our roundtable are representatives of local seniors’ organizations, veterans’ groups, service clubs (like Rotary, Lions, Kinsmen, etc), church groups. About a dozen active members works well and these representatives provide communication back to their membership. It helps if your town/village council will appoint an elected member to act as liaison for the group. This provides communication from the roundtable to the council.

What are the issues? Each community will be different, but there are some topics which will be pretty universal.  Transportation is one. Often the municipality is responsible for public transportation. How does this meet the needs of the community’s seniors? In some communities, an effort is made to provide a directory of seniors who live alone who might need assistance in the event of a natural disaster. Some municipalities will provide help in setting up this directory and the fire department is often a good resource.

Other issues which may come up include seniors’ housing and healthcare. In our area, some seniors have difficulty getting to appointments or to local stores for grocery shopping. Efforts are made to address these needs and make the council aware that changes may be necessary. Some seniors find self-service gas stations difficult; a list of full-service ones can be provided. Crosswalks near seniors’ residences should be helpful. What programs are available for seniors in your community to socialize and take part in activities? Is there a directory of these services?

How can seniors help with this type of roundtable? By supporting the idea, by submitting concerns and issues which should be dealt with, by spreading the word that the roundtable exists - all of this increases the level of awareness. The roundtable can set up a blog or website to include information and updates - this makes the community aware of what is being done. Because seniors are willing to serve on this type of committee, the community will be aware that there is interest and will work to provide assistance. It’s well worth the effort.   

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