Community

Portland City Council with Age Friendly Business Award winners and members of the Age Friendly Economic Development and Work Subcommittee.

Andy Rooney said it well: “The idea of living a long life appeals to everyone, but the idea of getting old doesn't appeal to anyone.” And yet, we now live longer, healthier and more productive lives. We have an incredible “longevity bonus”. And AARP Oregon is here to help you realize your Real Possibilities to make the most out of life as you age.

AARP Oregon is hosting several Vital Aging conferences, including Saturday, Nov. 10, at the United Unitarian Church, 1685 W. 13th Ave., Eugene. The event, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., is designed specifically for veterans, the military and their families, but all members are welcome.

Two residents died this week. Hey! Wait! That’s exactly how I began a blog in January.

In the film version of L. Frank Baum children’s novel , The Wizard of Oz, each of Dorothy’s imagined friends has a burning desire, a craving: they all yearn for some thing (“If I Only Had A….) “The Scarecrow” wants a brain. The “Tin Man” wants a heart. The “Lion” deviates from the anatomical wish list – he wants something amorphous: courage.

The AARP Foundation Experience Corps tutoring program shows that when older adults help kids, the interaction improves everyone’s well-being.

See you in a bit, he always says, as he leaves my room, after helping me in one of the “Activities of Daily Living” (ADLs) which, because of my disabilities, I can’t perform myself.

Shakespeare said it – as he always has:

Caregiving crises can erupt with a phone call. For me it happened on a glorious sunny morning in the summer of 2008 with a ring from my sister. Within hours of hearing that Mom’s caregiver needed to be fired, panic and fear rained down on me because we realized Mom would soon have to leave home.

CLACKAMAS —AARP awarded more than $25,000 to three Oregon community projects with Community Challenge Grants. “These are ‘quick-action’ projects that spark change in local communities,” said state director Jerry Cohen. The grant program, now in its second year, is part of AARP’s nationwide Livable Communities initiative, which aims to make communities great places to live for everyone.