Director for Education and Culture for Koelsch Communities Benjamin Surmi joins Suzanne to talk about where to find resources to help reinvent ourselves.

Benjamin says, "Do not discount the community center in your city, do not discount any kind of lifelong learning institute at a local university. In most metro areas some really cool stuff is happening that is empowering seniors to continue learning... You may also find faith communities in your local area that are doing some really innovative work that is just fascinating to you. As well as many senior living communities like ours offer educational events that connect you to resources and people that you might not have thought about."

He adds, "There's also some really cool stuff happening at a national level, with new organizations that are doing some fun stuff. Cogenerate just got started recently. And what they do is they bring the generations together to solve pressing issues. They have a program that brings retired physicians out of retirement and puts them in the most challenging places in America to help. They have a program that pays seniors who want to do something special with their encore years, actually pay them, and mentor them in doing it.

"Maturias and Seniors@Work match seniors who want to contribute in the business world with organizations that want their talent. CatchaFire matches non-profits that want to grow with a senior who'll give them a one-hour call to share their knowledge base in a particular field. A one-hour call can change the trajectory of a non-profit, and some seniors have decades of experience. Bloom provides a 3-week coaching program to identify what a senior's encore years would look like. Get Set Up is a group of hundreds of members where older adults teach other older adults in all sorts of subjects.

Even in our 50s, we all should be thinking about what matters to us, what connections matter, and what we want to do when we're 90. If we're making decisions based on finances or comfort, we're not making choices that will allow us to keep doing the things that matter to us.

Koelsch has senior living locations in eight states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Montana, Texas, and Washington. Listen to our podcast conversation with Aaron Koelsch, the CEO of Koelsch Communities. Learn more about Koelsch Communities at their website or call (360) 867-1900. Hear more of their podcasts at Answers for Elders.

 

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