As I have mentioned before in these pages, most of my retired friends live very busy, active lives. And most are in relatively good health. But I have some retired friends that are not living such busy lives and I have had some of them to tell me that if they only felt better they would become more involved in other things.

Perhaps that’s true, but on the other hand I wonder that if they would get involved in “other things” they wouldn’t feel better. 

In my exercise group (co-ed, three days a week) most of us share that there are lots of days we don’t feel like getting up and about but that a little “self-push” gets us out and that helps us feel better.  Sort of like having a built in life coach.

And that is what today’s author is saying in this article. Volunteering and helping others takes our minds off of ourselves. Try it, it works. You can take it from me and a lot of my retired friends.

Happy Retirement,
Woody

Volunteering: Helping others could actually help you

(ARA) – We respect and admire volunteers for their devotion to a cause and their willingness to sacrifice their own needs for the needs of others. These selfless acts can often be life-changing for the person on the receiving end, but what about the person volunteering?

The health benefits of volunteering are well documented and include reduced stress and an increased feeling of self worth. It is no wonder that for many people with chronic conditions, volunteering can even help maintain or improve one’s physical health.

Hand in Hand for RA (www.handinhandforRA.com) is a national awareness campaign that encourages people with the painful chronic joint disease rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to learn about the benefits of volunteering and share their own inspirational stories.

“Volunteering is a huge part of my life that has really helped me through some tough times dealing with a chronic disease,” says Seth Ginsberg, cofounder and president of grassroots arthritis group CreakyJoints, a sponsor of the campaign. “Things as simple as getting involved with senior citizens in your local community – reading to them, driving them to the grocery store and even just talking with them – all help keep your mind off your disease.”

When Debbie McGrady, a 55-year-old mother of two and part-time bank teller, was diagnosed with RA, she decided she wasn’t going to allow the disease to take over her life. Debbie has gotten involved with Hand in Hand for RA and has found volunteering to be very rewarding and fun as she drives seniors to their doctor’s appointments, to the drugstore and on other errands.

“Helping others and giving back to the community has assisted me in keeping the focus on my life and not on my disease,” says Debbie. “Volunteering can be as simple as supervising children at an after-school program or coaching your children’s sports team.”

Volunteering also is a way to connect with others and offers people living with RA an opportunity to talk about their disease and communicate with people going through the same things.

To take advantage of what your community may offer or to find ideas, try visiting your local recreation center, YMCA or town hall. These places post community activities and list where volunteers are needed. Also, visit the Hand in Hand for RA website to learn about how other RA volunteers are giving back.

Other tips on volunteering for RA patients include:

* Participate in a beautification project by planting a garden.
* Get involved in a local fundraiser for a good cause; or create one.
* Deliver meals to seniors in town.
* Help paint a local house in disrepair.
* Mentor youth.
* Volunteer at an animal shelter.

Before starting on any new activity, it is important to talk first with a health care provider about what volunteer activities would be the best to pursue based on your individual health status.

For more information on how to get involved with Hand in Hand for RA visit www.handinhandforRA.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Hi Folks,

For those of you that have been reading my blogs for awhile (Retirement on a Budget and Woody’s Retirement Blog) know that I believe your retirement years should contain a lot of cheering and encouraging others. What a wonderful way to spend your days.

Well, Robbie James, todays author, has a great idea – Care Packages for those recovering from surgery. No more flowers, cards, or ballons (unless they are part of your care package). 

Hey, try this the next time you want to really cheer someone up.

I would love to hear about your successes, failures and good ideas.

God Bless,
Woody 

Care Package After Surgery – What to Include

 Submitted By: Robbie T. James

 Any surgery that requires someone to undergo bed rest at the hospital or at home is serious enough to warrant sending him or her a nice care package. Sending a care package says just that – that you care and want them to get better. A care package is warmly-received whether you deliver it in person or send it via the mail.

Being on bed rest or otherwise not feeling up to par during the recovery phase after surgery is no fun for anyone. Whether the surgery was elective or done under a situation of disease or duress, recovery always involves changing one’s routine for a while. Imagine how nice it would be for your friend, family member or colleague to receive a nice package of goodies from someone who cares. Not only does the gesture express warmth – it also can just be a lot of fun to get an unexpected gift.

A good care package is all about what goes inside of it. Even though you will score points for just the thought itself, you will make him or her smile even more big and brightly if you put together a winning package.

If you are looking for what to include in a care package after surgery, here are some tips that can help:

1. Let your inner child help you choose:

Think about the situation your friend or family member is in: they are hanging around the hospital room or bedroom in their robe and PJs. They are wearing slippers. There’s lots of down time. Sounds kind of like a kid on summer vacation, right? While surgery post-op is obviously no vacation, it is definitely a change from “business as usual” for this person. So, throw your logical pre-conceptions out the window and just let your inner child guide your choices for what to include. It’s okay to be a little bit whimsical in your selections.

2. Choose items that will fill their time:

After surgery, one thing a person does have a lot of is time on their hands. The hours can pass awfully slowly when you are used to being active and busy but now are confined to a hospital bed. Choose items like games and puzzles that keep them busy. If you have the money, those little hand-held video games (usually costing $10-$15 or less) can be a great way to pass the time. Sudoku and crossword puzzles are also a kick for people who like games.

3. Pick an unusual or specialty magazine:

Right now, life is not business as usual for this person. So, why not get him or her a magazine that they may not have read in a long time. Did they like Mad Magazine as a kid 10 or 20 years ago? Maybe that would be fun. Or, get them one on knitting or extreme sports or computers or art. Surprise him or her!

4. Bring something that reminds them of friends and family:

Being all cooped up all day can be a little bit lonely. Why not bring your friend a photo album with pics from home, the office, or a recent trip? In today’s world of online photo sharing, the art of making a good physical photo album has been lost for many of us. If you don’t have lots of time to spend making an album, just buy a plastic one at the drugstore and insert 10 or 20 fun photos. The goal is to remind the surgery patient you know of people who care.

5. Include some fun foods:

Include a can, box or bag of their favorite snack food. Remember: don’t go overboard with giving food, since they may be under strict doctor’s orders to stick to a certain diet. If that’s the case, just tell them that the food is for when they get better soon.

A few more gift ideas:

a. an ice pack

b. a box of Thank You notes that they can use to thank people who have brought them gifts or visited

c. a silly piece of jewelry or novelty item

d. a pre-paid calling card so they can call an old friend

e. a prayer book or book of meditations

f. a CD or DVD

When putting together your care package, put on your “creativity” hat and get going. It can be a lot of fun to put together, and it will mean the world to your friend, family member or colleague during their time of need.

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