CHURCH PROGRAM OFFERS HELP FOR OLDER AMERICANS

JACKSON -- New McKendree United Methodist Church wants to help residents reach out to senior citizens in the community.

The Rev. Scott Lohse, senior pastor at New McKendree, said the church's limited-activity-persons program is geared toward encouraging residents to "adopt" older people.

"The idea is to check in with them once a week or so and do something on a monthly basis, remember them at holiday times," Lohse said.

He said the church's Women's Fellowship groups regularly keep in touch with senior members "and let them know they haven't been forgotten."

Lohse pointed out that family mobility means adult children and their senior parents may live far apart, limiting regular contact.

On Wednesday, Mary Gosche, a human-development specialist with the University of Missouri Extension Service, will present "Aging America: Trends and Projections" as the kickoff for the church's new program. Gosche will speak at 7:15 p.m. at New McKendree, 225 S. High St.

In Cape Girardeau County, about 12 percent of the population are in the 65-to-84 age group, Gosche said, comparable to the rest of the state's population.

At the beginning of the century, fewer than 1 in 10 Americans was over 55, and only 1 in 25 was over 65, Gosche said. By 1989, 1 in 5 Americans was at least 55 and 1 in 8 was at least 65.

There are several implications in that trend, she said. Caregiving for the elderly has become more of a necessity, both in nursing facilities and private homes.

"People are having children later and their parents are living longer, so they tend to be in the sandwich generation, caring for both their own children and their parents," she said.

In Cape Girardeau County, 8.6 percent of the population live in group quarters, and 43 percent of older people who live alone rely on paid assistance with daily activities.

People are also living longer after they retire, Gosche said, which means they have to stretch their pensions longer and further. In 1988, 38 percent of seniors' income came from Social Security, and 13 percent of the elderly received all of their income through Social Security.

The limited-activities-persons program will give residents a chance to help seniors in the community, but families can also benefit, Lohse said.

Because some families are separated from their senior members, children may grow up without regular contact with grandparents or other seniors. The program can give youngsters a chance to "get acquainted" with the older generation, Lohse said.

For more information contact the New McKendree United Methodist Church.