The Value of Community

Human beings are hard-wired to be "in community" with other humans.  For those who are extroverts, "community" is large and diverse, while the introverts among us may have smaller, sometimes less diverse, yet often deeper or more intimate communities.  Our communities are comprised of friends, family members, acquaintances, colleagues and people with whom we do different types of business.  Regardless of the size or the make-up of our "communities", they all have something in common--they are ours, we have chosen them and they represent what is important to us, as individuals. 

When people are required to move into an institutional living situation, like a nursing home, their opportunities for creating and enjoying communities of their choice are significantly limited.  This can, and usually does, have a significant impact on their perceptions of themselves as valuable humans, as well as others' perceptions of their value to the world. 

Isolation can occur at home as well.  As caregivers, we have a responsibility to work hard to identify the things and people that are Important To the people we care for.  We must help them find ways to stay “in community” with the people they love and enjoy.  At the same time, we should recognize that the way people engage with others may be different than when they were younger.  The types of activities they want to share may change.  The amount of time they share with others may need to be in shorter intervals.  The engagement may need to be less rigorous.  The environment may need to be less distracting.  It may be different, but it’s not less important.  What are you doing to help the people you love and support stay “in community” with people they love?