By Barb Vallecillo, MSW, LICSW
Counseling services program manager
Little Brothers-Friends of the Elderly

Older adulthood is a time of constant transition. Retirement introduces new changes in routine, financial management, relationships and role changes. Changing health conditions or the death of loved ones introduces another learning curve, as individuals are faced with adapting to living alone, switching caregiver roles and relying on others for help. Here are a few helpful ideas to consider:

1.  Recognize that changes often create stress. Acknowledging life stressors, including grief as one area of your life changes, allows one to better manage life transitions. Ignoring stressors can backfire and lead to even more stressors.

2.  Find support: friends, family or others who make attempts to tune into how you are doing. For some, it is easier to talk to a neutral person, such a counselor or a minister. The key is not going it alone.

3.  Stay interested in and connected with the world around you. Constant learning helps one adapt to transitions.

The Elders Counseling Elders Program (ECE) of Little Brothers-Friends of the Elderly is a peer counseling program designed to help older adults successfully manage difficult life transitions. ECE's highly trained lay volunteers (aged 60 years and older) provide weekly home-based peer support to other older adults going through challenging life situations. Some of these life changes include giving up driving, moving, caregiver stress, grief, or adjusting to new medical issues. ECE counseling is available to adults age 60 and over living in Hennepin and Ramsey counties and is provided at no cost to participants. If you are interested in ECE services or in becoming an ECE counselor, contact Linda Davison, 612/721-6215.