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August 13, 1998
1
MILESTONES
By
Susan Church
Pat and Jerry Ringler punched a time clock at IBM for 24 years.
They dressed the part. They fought freeways. They put up with crime
working in Washington, D.C., and took orders from Gen-X bosses.
Finally, they took the golden handshake. Jerry Ringler threw away
his watch. Pat Ringler wears t-shirts and shorts to-workNew- their -
alarm clock is the wind in the pines. Their workplace companion is a
big yellow dog who lolls at their feet. They live in a campground they
own hugging the outskirts of the Great Smoky Mountains National
Park. And though their work day often stretches to 10 p.m. and they've
had only one day off in six years, they say they've never been happier.
"We get the warm fuzzies every day," Pat Ringler, 53, said. "People
are always giving us positive feedback and we've made friends from
all over the country. I easily work 105 hours a week now, but this place
is ours, and nobody is telling us what to do." ie ;
More and more workers in their 50s and even 60s wish they coul
join them. Job coaches and career counselors say they're seeing plenty
of middle-aged clients bitten by the entrepreneurial bug. :
With good reason. The road to retirement is rough. Middle-aged
workers are at the highest risk for downsizing, according to a new study
by University of Connecticut economics professor Kenneth Couch.
Proposed changes in the Social Security retirement age will force a grow-
ing number of people to find jobs that will carry them through the
sixth decade of life and beyond. Many displaced workers seek refuge
among the ranks of self-employed, only to find they have neither the
stamina’nor the savvy for elder entrepreneuriship.
"The people who succeed in business for themselves are those who've
always succeeded," said Knoxville job coach Marta Driesslein of Cam-
bridge Career Services. "It's not for the squeamish or the faint of heart
or those who blame others for a lack of success."
Thinking about jumping ship to launch your own company? Career
coaches and those who've piloted those waters before offer the follow-
ing advice:
—Be prepared to sell yourself. "People think clients will beat a path
to their door all on their own," said Samuel Ray, vice chairman of The
Transition Team, a national outplacement firm. "But they won't." If
you've never made a cold call or a presentation in your life, now is not
the time to start.
When Nancy Canestaro left her college teaching job at Michigan
State University to launch an interior design consulting business in
the art of feng shui, she had to figure out a way to introduce the Orien-
tal design philosophy to clients in Knoxville, Tenn. Tapping into her
. college teaching experience, she designed, introductory seminars she
offers free to community groups. She gets 10 to 15 people at each lec-
ture and garners a couple of paying customers from each talk.
‘Lfound out that if I didn't push, I didn't get clients," Canestaro said.
‘T've learned to pull back and see this as a business and not just an art.
I've really had to learn business skills like marketing to succeed."
—Practice self-discipline. People who are used to playing by some-
body else's rules may be at a loss when running their own show. This
is no time to slack off. Ray advises budding entrepreneurs to develop
a business plan and get used to structuring their work hours on a daily,
weekly and monthly basis. Get up. Get dressed. Get into the office —
even if it's a cubby in the kitchen. Self-discipline extends to ex-
penses too. Canestaro, 51, made a strict budget, cutting out all but busi-
ness-related restaurant meetings and forgoing home improvements.
She spends time in the office every day. At this point, her salary is half
of what she made in academia, but she's established the kinds of busi-
ness habits that will pay off in the long-run.
—Do what you love. You'll need to if you want to last the long haul.
Self-employed people often work more hours, not less. "The key is to
explore what your instincts tell you to," Driesslein said. The Ringlers
were experienced campers and had stayed in many camprounds be-
fore deciding to open their own. Someone with a knack for yardwork
may want to start a landscaping business. Those with design or home
repair skills may consider work as a home inspector. "The money is
where your heart is," Driesslein said. "Keep focused."
—Consider transitioning into self-employment. Don't wait for the
pink slip. Start exploring your options now. Join trade associations.
Teach a class at a community college. Gather advice from those who've
soloed before. SCORE, the Service Corps of Retired Executives, offers
free counseling for start-up businesses.
For those hard-workers willing to meet the demands of building a
new career after 50, the rewards are great. Canestaro found age is an
ally. She's respected for her experience and her education. And she
loves creating a company that employs both her teaching and her de-
sign skills.
"I think I'm really in my prime," she said.
Susan Church is a licensed psychological examiner. She welcomes your
questions or comments by e-mail, smchurch@aol.com or PO. Box 32452,
Knoxville, TN 37930.
The Health & Fitness Page is a new
feature to the Kings Mountain Herald.
The page is sponsored bi-weekly by
SoZ.
Kings Mountain Hospital
Carolinas HealthCare System
706 W. Kings Street
P.O. Box 339
Kings Mountain, N.C. 28086
(704) 739-3601
The Kings Mountain Herald
A new program began August
3 to help those in the Kings
Mountain area who have been
unable to access medical services
they may need.
The “Parish Nurse” program is
designed to build a bridge
between people who are in need
of regular healthcare services but
have not received services
because they are homebound or
uninsured or because they are not
aware of available services.
Charlotte Craig, R.N..., B.S.N.
is directing the parish nurse
program in Kings Mountain. She
explains that she will receive
information about people who
may benefit primarily by referral
from clergy and church members.
“Parish nurse programs work to
unify a person’s medical and
spiritual needs,” she said, by
adding a spiritual component to
the delivery of healthcare
services. Our purposes is to treat
the whole person.”
Craig is a 25-year career nursing
professional. She has worked in
a variety of settings including
public health and hosital acute-
care. She received her diploma in
nursing form St. Mary's School of
Nursing in Knoxville, Tennessee
and a bachelor of science degree
in nursing from the University of
North Carolina at Greesboro.
She will now work with
congregations within Kings
Mountain to identify those who
may qualify for the parish nurse
program. In fact, all members of
local church communities are
invited to contact the nurse parish
program if they know of someone
in need of the program's services.
When Craig begins work with
a patient, the first step will be to
identify the scope of services they
may need. This is done through
interviews and an initial
Page 5A
evaluation and may include a
physical exam. If the individual
is uanble to reach Craig,
transportation may be arranged
or she well make a visit to the
residence.
Once needed services are
identified, Craig will connect the
patient to those services or
programs that are available in
Cleveland County. These might
inlcude the Cleco network of
primary care physicians, the
Cleveland County Health
Department, Kings Mountain
Hospital, Crisis Assistance
Ministry, Hospice of Cleveland
County, Cleveland Home Health
Agency or others.
If the particular services needed
are not available in Cleveland
County, the program will attempt
to obtain them from sources
outside the county.
Craig says she will be serving as
a “health counselor” for clients of
the parish nurse program and will
be offering health education.
“Another role will be to
coordinate and teach volunteers,”
she adds. “Volunteers can join the
program form churches
throughout Kings Mountain,” she
said. “They might agree to sit with
a person in church who is
participating in the program or
they might assist with community
outreach such as blood pressure
screenings.”
No fees will be charged for the
services of the parish nurse
program. However, if healthcare
services are needed, insurance
eligibility will be considered to
assist with payment for the
services.
Parish Nurse is co-sponsored by
Kings Mountain Hospital, the
Kings. Mountain Ministsial |
“Association, Cleveland County
Health Department and Cleco.
Parish Nurse Program Begins Work
Charlotte Craig, R.N., B.S.N.
If you know of someone who
might benefit from the parish
nurse program or if you would like
to volunteer, call Charlotte Craig.
Her office is temporarily located in
Kings Mountain Hospital and she
can be reached at 739-3601.
Initiation of Parish Nurse is
made possible by a grant from the
Duke Endowment. Established in
1924, by North | .Carolina
industrialist James: Ba Duke, the!
Duke Endowment is one of the
nation’s largest private
foundations, with assets of more
than $1.98 billion. It supports
health care and child welfare
organizations in North Carolina
and South Carolina; rural United
Methodist churches in North
Carolina; and Davidson College
and Duke, Furman and Johnson
C. Smith universities. In 1997, the
Endowment awarded more than
$65 million in grantss. Total grants
since 1924 ‘total more than 1.3
billion.
Mission
Vision
continuum of care.
Values
environment.
community.
Respite Care
We will dedicate ourselves to maintainin
+24 Hour Emergency Room
‘One Day Surgery Outpatient Services
Surgery Physical Therapy
‘EKG/EEG « Laboratory
X-Ray Respiratory Therapy
‘Ultra Sound Endoscopy
Cardiac Rehabilitation
Our Mission, Vision, & Values
The mission of Kings Mountain Hospital, as a community general hospital, is to
provide care and treatment for persons suffering from illnesses, injuries or disabilities
and to provide health information and health educ
Mountain and the surrounding areas.
The mission of Kings Mountain Hospital, as a member of the Carolinas HealthCare
System, is to support and actively participate in achieving the goals and objectives of
the Carolinas HealthCare System: to create and operate a comprehensive system to
provide healthcare and related services, including education and research
opportunities for the benefits of the people it serves.
Kings Mountain Hospital strives to be the Hospital provider of choice in the areas of
primary and secondary care and to excel in the areas of Health Education and Health
Promotion in Kings Mountain and the surrounding areas.
Further, we strive to facilitate the coordination of the services of all Healthcare
Agencies which serve our patients, so that our patients may experience a seemless
Our patients and visitors will be treated with utmost compassion and concern,
assuring the delivery of a personal touch despite the high tech, complex
We will strive for excellence in any endeavor undertaken, placing service above self.
ECT
So.
NJ
Kings Mountain Hospital
Carolinas HealthCare System
706 W. Kings Street
P.O. Box 339
Kings Mountain, N.C. 28086
(704) 739-3601
ation to those who reside in Kings
g, restoring, and improving the health of our
«Acute Dialysis
«Psychiatric Unit
«CT Scanner
‘Mammography Screening
«Skilled Nursing Care
«Intensive Care
‘Emergency Helicopter Service