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	<title>Marin Villages Archives - Nancy Rhine, MS, LMFT, CPG</title>
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	<description>Specialist in Issues of Midlife &#38; Older Adults</description>
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		<title>Neighbors Helping Neighbors: Online Community for &#8220;Tweeniors&#8221; and Older Adults in Marin</title>
		<link>https://www.nancyrhine.com/2012/06/18/neighbors-helping-neighbors-building-a-locally-focused-online-community-for-midlife-older-marinites/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Nancy Rhine, MS, LMFT]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 18 Jun 2012 20:44:58 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[adult children of aging parents]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[aging]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[counseling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dupont Circle Village]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gerontology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[growing older in Marin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marin aging]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marin tweeniors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marin Villages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[neighbors helping neighbors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NORC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[older adults]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[seniors in Marin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[support]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The WELL]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Whistlestop]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Whistlestop Wheels]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.nancyrhine.com/?p=1883</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Neighbors Helping Neighbors: Building an Online Information/Community Hub in Marin &#160; Prior to my career as a Marriage &#38; Family Therapist, and gerontologist, I was involved in starting and growing several online communities. I have seen the tremendous benefits to individuals of a well-organized online information hub focused on the needs and interests of a [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.nancyrhine.com/2012/06/18/neighbors-helping-neighbors-building-a-locally-focused-online-community-for-midlife-older-marinites/">Neighbors Helping Neighbors: Online Community for &#8220;Tweeniors&#8221; and Older Adults in Marin</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.nancyrhine.com">Nancy Rhine, MS, LMFT, CPG</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h1><span style="font-size: 18px;"> Neighbors Helping Neighbors: Building an Online Information/Community Hub in Marin</span></h1>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">Prior to my career as a Marriage &amp; Family Therapist, and gerontologist, I was involved in starting and growing several online communities. I have seen the tremendous benefits to individuals of a well-organized online information hub focused on the needs and interests of a particular demographic or special interest group.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">This type of Online Information Resource Center assembles links, reviews and articles in an easily searchable, Central Hub to provide ease-of-use and convenience to the target population. I think we need such a Hub in Marin.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">A vibrant, free, online information hub focused on older adults, adult children of older parents, baby boomers, &#8220;tweeniors&#8221;, and sandwich generation-ers &#8211; focused on life in Marin &#8211; would link Marinites up to the rich range of excellent resources, services, service providers, products, agencies and activities we have right here in our own backyards.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">Plus, we would be able to share with each other how we have solved the wide variety of challenges and successes that come with growing older in general and in our local communities. We participants could serve as a kind of living encyclopedia of help and answers and ideas. Which leads me to the topic of&#8230;</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2><span style="font-size: 16px;">Social Media (Online Community) Building Friendships</span></h2>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">What we now call social media and used to call online community is a central part of such a community and demographic-focused web site. Members will come, attracted to the information resources, and stay, becoming participants, because of the supportive and interesting community of others with similar concerns and interests. Support and bonds and connections and friendships grow.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">There are many examples of successful online communities which offer wonderful stories of mutual support. Some of you may remember <strong><a href="http://www.well.com/">The WELL</a> </strong>(Whole Earth &#8216;Lectronic Link) which started in Sausalito in the 1980&#8217;s as a pioneering and legendary online community affiliated with the Whole Earth Review magazine. The WELL is still thriving and some of its members have been friends online now for 25 years. <strong><a href="http://www.dupontcirclevillage.org/Pages/default.aspx">Dupont Circle Village</a></strong> offers a thriving senior online community as part of its Village membership in the DC area.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2><span style="font-size: 16px;">Older Population Thriving &amp; Online Too</span></h2>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">We are the fastest aging county in California. The fastest growing part of our population is the 85+ age group. Older people are turning to social media tools in droves. Something like 18,000,000 U.S. Facebook users are 55 and older.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">For those older people who are not online, some simple and gentle classes and instruction would introduce them to the potential benefits of learning how to access resources and friends/family. I believe it would be empowering for them to at least have the opportunity to make an informed choice about whether the tools are for them or not.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2><span style="font-size: 16px;">Help! How Do We Find Answers?</span></h2>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">The main complaint I hear from older people and their adult children or other loved ones is that they have an extremely difficult time finding answers and help for the dilemmas they are facing. They don’t know where to turn and when they do find phone numbers, they encounter what feels like a land of endless voice mail.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">Many older people end up going to the ER’s with problems that would have been easily preventable if they had had help, knowledge, answers and support earlier on.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2><span style="font-size: 16px;">Isolation is a Major Health Issue</span></h2>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">In addition, isolation becomes a tremendous issue for our older people as they experience vision impairment or physical conditions that prevent them from driving. Their worlds start to shrink.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">We are blessed to have <strong><a href="http://www.whistlestop.org/transportation/">Whistlestop Wheels</a> </strong>in Marin but it is important to note that Whistlestop is ADA paratransit – thus it is not senior transit – it is disabled transit with a rigorous screening process.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">Isolation affects so many quality of life issues for seniors – it can lead to loneliness and depression, decline in cognitive capability and even lead to poor nutrition if the individual has no easy access to groceries and little inspiration to eat well-balanced meals.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2><span style="font-size: 16px;">An Invaluable Tool in Communication Toolkits</span></h2>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">Vibrant online communities can provide a bridge between homebound people, give answers to those who are looking for ideas and shared personal experiences, referrals and tips for places to go for help, and friendly connections that can grow into friendships.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">Experienced managers train volunteer moderators in conversation and group facilitation and various writing and administration tools. Online policies are crafted, posted and enforced to prevent scam artists from taking hold. Webinars and a host of free online classes can be offered.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2><span style="font-size: 16px;">Neighbors Helping Neighbors: An Online Information/Community Hub</span></h2>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">As our federal, state and county budgets decrease, and at the same time our population is aging (“the Silver Tsunami” we’ve all heard about), what will be our plans for taking care of ourselves as we grow older? Will we choose to &#8220;age in place&#8221; or, as its being referred to now, &#8220;age in </span><span style="font-size: 16px;">community&#8221;?</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">Will we need to look after each other along the lines of what our parents and grandparents did in smaller towns and closer-knit neighborhoods across the country?</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">Many people think so. There is a growing <strong><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-07-26-aging26_ST_N.htm">Village movement </a></strong>across the US and a growing <strong><a href="http://www.norcs.org/">NORC </a></strong>movement (NORC = Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities). These movements represent efforts by thousands of people in hundreds of communities to come up with ways to support each other as we get older.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">We in Marin can also look out for each other as we grow older. We only need a will to do so. As I wrote last week for the Patch, the Mill Valley Village will join the group of 4 other<strong> <a href="http://www.marinvillage.org/">Marin Villages</a> </strong>(Ross Valley, Homestead Valley, Tiburon/Belvedere and Sausalito) later this year.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">As we come up with a variety of ways to help each other out, we will benefit from a full use of a variety of communication tools to help us connect and collaboratively develop answers and support:</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 16px;">face to face events to facilitate information exchange and relationships</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 16px;">telephone help lines staffed by live operators</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 16px;">an up-to-date central online information resource hub on aging in Marin</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 16px;">vibrant and thriving grassroots online communities that offer us the ability to connect, form and maintain strong and caring relationships</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">Anybody else interested in exploring these possibilities? I’d love to hear from you!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 17px;"><br />
</span></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.nancyrhine.com/2012/06/18/neighbors-helping-neighbors-building-a-locally-focused-online-community-for-midlife-older-marinites/">Neighbors Helping Neighbors: Online Community for &#8220;Tweeniors&#8221; and Older Adults in Marin</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.nancyrhine.com">Nancy Rhine, MS, LMFT, CPG</a>.</p>
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