Did you know that today (October 1st) is International Day for Older Persons??

Every year, on October 1st, people from all corners of the globe come together to observe the United Nations International Day of Older People. This global event is a platform for all of us to raise awareness of the opportunities and challenges faced by ageing populations and to mobilise the wider community to address their difficulties.

This morning, I arranged to pick up two Deaf, mobility-difficult seniors who were out for a small celebration by the Age Concern Waikato Organization at the Classic Cars Museum, Waikato. There were no other Deaf seniors there, just three of us, and I sent out a short video notice through Facebook (Meta) a couple weeks ago.

At the event, I had the pleasure of running into several cousins from my late grandmother’s family and ex-neighbours of my late grandparents of Hamilton East. It was a delightful opportunity to catch up with them today, reinforcing the strong bonds within our community.

Why not take a moment today to connect with the older persons in your life? Consider catching up with your mother, father, grandparent, or senior neighbours over tea or coffee. Your simple act of reaching out can make a world of difference.

Many Deaf seniors feel left out in the community, where no one visits them in the rest home, house, or hospital. Most Deaf seniors live alone if their loved one (partner) passes away or their family members move away, and they have no connection over video chat or texts in their daily lives. Deaf seniors use sign language as their first language, and other family or support members may not know sign language throughout their lives when there is a problem with communication barriers in the community.

Today, the Deaf seniors in the photo are Kathryn, who lost her Deaf husband and two Deaf brothers-in-law several years ago. Jacek is independent and disabled (Deaf, speech impaired, and CP—Cerebral Palsy) and lives alone. In contrast, his brother lives in Wellington, and his other brother lives in Hamilton. They went to the same Deaf School in Auckland and the Waikato Deaf Society Inc. 1956-1999 (Dissolved in 2004). Kathryn and Jacek were pleased to catch up again, and they enjoyed the day with me.