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Thursday August 23, 2007

How to celebrate Grandparents Day

In case you didn’t know, or have forgotten, Grandparents Day is Sunday, Sept. 9.

Molly Forrest, chief executive officer and president of the Los Angeles Jewish Home, which houses the largest group of 90-year-olds in the United States, has canvassed them for tips on how people of all ages can observe the event.

Forrest said Grandparents Day is celebrated in September to signify the “autumn years” of life and is an “opportunity to not only become aware of the strength, information and guidance seniors can offer, but connect with a resource that all too often we all take for granted.”

She offered these tips to those with or without grandparents:

n Visit.  If you don’t have a grandparent, visit residents of a nearby home and perhaps share a meal or conversation. Sixty percent of nursing home residents never have a visitor. The enriching benefit for young and old of such interaction is incalculable.

n Write. If you can’t visit, send a note or card. Though computer use is on the upswing with seniors, everyone likes to receive something personal — like a poem or artwork — in the mail.

n Call. If you forget to send a note in time, give a call. In a world of text messaging, taking the time to call goes a long way.

n Question. Grandparents are usually the ultimate repository of family history. Knowing that information is being passed down to future generations is often a comfort to everyone in the family.

n Adopt. People of all ages are willing to make new friends. Many seniors are not fortunate to have family nearby and would love to be a foster grandparent.

“A sense of community and belonging is so important to everyone, particularly as we age,” said Forrest. “Grandparents Day gives us all a chance to be a part of something larger than just ourselves.”

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