By: Carol Timms
Happy Father’s Day to all our male role-models. Fathers have a tremendous impact on a child’s overall healthy development. Having a father or significant male role-model results in a more confident and socially comfortable young adult.
There are all types of fathers. I was lucky enough to have George. He was adventurous, young at heart, caring, socially outgoing and hysterical. George stories range from dangerous and immature to nurturing and creative. He never met a stranger, was incredibly involved in making our community a better place and never thought twice about the safety of any situation if he thought there was fun to be had. If you’ve seen the movie “Big Fish,” you’ve caught a glimpse of George.
If my mother had known about the times he’d rent a motorcycle, throw my 10-year-old self on the back (without a helmet) and drive up and down the unpaved hills in the forest preserve, well, you can just imagine. Or when he stole his car from the Chicago impound. Then there were the frequent Saturdays when he’d take me into bars in questionable neighborhoods because he heard they had a piano and a microphone. Sensible was not a word used to describe George. As a result, I grew up unafraid and confident but a bit less impetuous.
Because he lived in the moment, retirement was a struggle financially and socially. He filled his social needs by singing with a group of seniors, acting in community theater and going to the grocery store every single day. He would buy one or two things and be gone for hours as he chatted up everyone, especially the ladies.
Financially, he relied on Social Security, Medicare and Veterans Affairs drug benefits. When I first brought up the VA drug benefits, he shook his head and said he didn’t want to deal with the paperwork. This is a common response from our seniors. I completed the simple paperwork for him, and when he saw how much he was saving, he was so grateful.
When his home became too much of a burden to maintain, I convinced him to sign up for the State Housing Initiatives Partnership Program (SHIP). George was able to sell his home and buy a condo using a downpayment from SHIP. This allowed him to use the funds from the sale of the home for his living expenses. The downpayment was repaid to SHIP upon his passing.
As caregivers and counselors for our parents as they age, it’s important to stay informed about all the services for which they’re eligible. This can be a big job, but you can rely on local senior service organizations and Health Alliance to provide educational resources.
I am one of many Health Alliance community liaisons throughout our service area who help connect programs, providers and seniors. Let us help you give the gift of peace of mind this Father’s Day.
Carol Timms is a community liaison at Health Alliance. In addition to her commitment to volunteering, she enjoys cooking, driving in parades and hanging out with her two CavaPoos. Like this article? Let us know by responding to Outreach@HealthAlliance.org. Thanks for reading!