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Aging Well
From Career to VolunteerYou can find rewarding new outlets for former job skills, as two local people demonstrateYou don’t have to put those hard-won career skills out to pasture when you retire. Instead, “recycle” them in a nonprofit setting, as Rosalie Maehrer and Stephen Gaul have done.Pediatric nurse becomes children’s reading advocateFrom her desk, Rosalie Maehrer of Macungie used to watch the families in the waiting room of Lehigh Valley Hospital’s outpatient pediatric clinic, where she worked as a telephone triage nurse. What she saw were bored, restless children and parents who didn’t know how to help them cope with a long wait.“There was a significant need for more parental interaction,” Maehrer says. “I said to myself, ‘When I retire I’m going to come in here and do something about this.’ ” And she did. Two weeks after retirement, Maehrer brought a national pediatric literacy program called Reach Out and Read to the clinic. Now she and her team of trained volunteers read to waiting children (and demonstrate to their parents the importance of reading) every day during the clinic’s busiest times. Salesman now “sells” heart healthStephen Gaul of Allentown didn’t get around to volunteering his sales skills until after triple bypass surgery, a massive stroke and eight months of rehabilitation. Today Gaul, who had to learn to speak again after his stroke, is a spokesperson and local board member of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. He’s also vice president of the Zipper Club at Lehigh Valley Hospital, a group that counsels patients and their families before and after heart surgery. And he’s a friend, coach and inspiration to other stroke victims.“I can’t picture myself doing anything except volunteering now,” Gaul says. “It gives me so much satisfaction. I have a whole different perspective on why I’m here. Giving and relating to somebody is much more important than just making money.” They’re helping themselves, tooMaehrer and Gaul are helping themselves as well as others, says psychiatrist Arif Husain, M.D., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. “When people retire, they’re often holding a high level of responsibility at work and need something to fill that void. The mind is not ready to retire at age 60.“Successful retirees structure their time very well,” he says. “They socialize, pursue spiritual life, have family connections and find volunteer opportunities—often using their past skills. In this way they lower the risk of depression, anxiety and even medical problems that can come with unplanned retirement.” Studies have shown that people who volunteer actually live longer and enjoy better physical and mental health than non-volunteers, says Diane Schrameyer, director of the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program. “Volunteering is a way of staying connected,” she says. “When you’re not just focusing on yourself and your problems, you feel better because you see yourself as contributing and making a difference.” How to go about itPlugging former job skills into volunteer work can take many forms. A retired scientist could monitor streams for an environmental group; a retired teacher could work as a museum tour guide; a retired commercial driver could deliver Meals on Wheels.“You have the freedom now to pick and choose the things that really interest you,” Schrameyer says. “Besides using former skills, you can explore related avenues—or completely new ones you always thought you’d enjoy doing but didn’t have time for when you were working.” And if you’re not retired yet, you can get a head start now, Husain says. “The ideal way to retire is to ease into it by cutting back on your work hours, moving to a less intense job and finding other activities—such as volunteering—to fill your time and give you satisfaction.”
Want to Know More about volunteering with Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network? If you have a background or strong desire to promote wellness and disease prevention and are interested in volunteering to assist at health fairs, health screenings, community events and lectures, please call 610-402-CARE. This page last updated 2/12/08 04:08 PM
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