Broome County programs support elders' independence

In upstate New York, participants in a pair of role-reversal programs learn skills that enhance self-esteem, build confidence and encourage independence. The older adults taking part in these programs were raised with strict gender roles and responsibilities, and they have never learned how to do tasks traditionally allocated to the opposite sex. As a result, these men and women are vulnerable in different ways when a spouse is no longer around or able to fulfill these responsibilities. To address this lack of knowledge, the Broome County Office for Aging developed Men Making Meals, an 8-week cooking course, and Tips for the Late-Blooming Handywoman, a 3-hour workshop on household repairs and maintenance.