Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Senior's needs? (was Achieving age diversity)

[Jan (jan]

Children have their parents, who are usually very interested and vocal
advocates.  In most instances, older members must be their own advocates.
Being an advocate for oneself can feel and seem selfish.  The hearing
impaired (we have at least one) and the memory-impaired (we have two members
with Alzheimer's disease) have a hard time speaking on their own behalf.  As
a consequence, they are usually silent--or absent from meetings.  On the
other hand, being an advocate "for the sake of the children" can seem
altruistic.  This situation could be one of the reasons kids' needs trump
elders' needs.

Jan