Concord Journal: Posted Sep 6 at 9:30 AM

Concord After 60 works to help senior residents build community

By Rob Carter

When Pam Hanson turned 60, the idea of leaving her house and heading to an assisted living facility wasn’t one that appealed to her or even necessarily occurred to her.

“Assisted living is great, but it’s not for everyone. But the risk of keeping your home is isolation,” Hanson said.

Hanson lives with her husband and said she is fortunate to live in an active neighborhood, where residents are often socializing and helping each other out, but she said the prospect of growing older without that community was daunting and one that likely faced others.

To help those folks, she and fellow resident Ann Schummers started Concord After 60, a volunteer organization with three goals: socialization, mutual support and sharing information about available resources.

“The group is open to anyone who wants to join,” Schummers said. “They just need to be 60 years old, living in Concord and willing to give back.”

The group also has an annual $25 membership fee.

Schummers and Hanson drove home the club’s inclusive spirit, pausing the Journal interview at one point to invite a man sitting at the other end of their picnic table to their next meeting.

“We’re both compulsive organizers,” Schummers said.

Schummers, who is a retired geriatric nurse practitioner, said the group wasn’t trying to replace any of the services in place for senior citizens, but rather to fill in some of the gaps.

“The Council on Aging is great, but it’s mostly Monday to Friday from 9 to 5,” Schummers said. “So we focus on nights and weekends.”

The organization hosts book groups, lectures, volunteer outings and a number of other activities throughout the year, according to Schummers.

“We try to keep a balance between the fun stuff so people can get to know each other, and the more serious stuff so people can learn things,” Hanson said.

Hanson said that the volunteer outings are particularly important because research has shown they can help reduce depression and loneliness among seniors.

“We want to help people establish networks,” Hanson said, pointing out that many retirees moved to Concord to be close to their families or had worked out of town and set up their social life by their office. “We want to make outings possible. Some people are OK doing things by themselves, but I know I don’t like doing that.”

All of the activities and meetings are listed on their website, concordafter60.org. For members who aren’t so tech-savvy, Schummers and Hanson said the group has buddies available to assist in navigating their site.

Schummers said the website also includes a list of service recommendations and resources aimed at assisting seniors.

The club meets monthly at the Hunt Gym on Stow Street in Concord. The next meeting is scheduled for Sept. 16 as a one-year anniversary celebration.