THESE PLACES MAY GIVE YOU FEVER

What do bars and churches have in common? In our city this week, they’ve been hotbeds for spread of the coronavirus. I think I reported a similar situation some time back, when the Department of Health issued an alert about those who went to a particular gentlemen’s club on the same weekend others went to a certain church. Saints and sinners alert! These places may give you fever.

Why do people go to church? Most importantly, because they feel closer to God. But that’s not the only reason. They love the sense of community, singing, finding comfort in troubled times, and relieving stress.

Few people who go to bars are alcoholics. They’re going to meet, see people, relax, wind down, and break the monotony of life. Due to the relaxed atmosphere, they’re more apt to share ideas and talk about their problems.

These places may give you fiver — Whether you’re singing in a bar or a church, these places can give you fever.

In both venues, they’re doing what humans like to do. Getting close to people, finding comfort, sharing ideas, talking, singing, maybe even dancing.

Now, look at how long we’ve been in lockdown due to the pandemic. Almost nine months. It’s no wonder people decide to attend church and go to bars. Covid-19 cases are spiking because of coronavirus fatigue. You get to the point where you just can’t take it anymore.

As seniors, we’re feeling that same fatigue. We’re lucky enough to have sons nearby, but they’re afraid to stay very long for fear of infecting us. We really can’t afford to take any greater risks than going to the grocery store.. At least there, we have a little interaction with another human being at the check out counter.

We’ve even started missing the pizza delivery man.. They now have a no-contact policy. You order online, pay with a credit card, and include a tip. They guy runs on your porch, and leaves a pizza on the swing. It would be nice to at least exchange a few pleasantries, and hand him a cash tip.

I don’t know how long this can go on. Eventually, people will go to places that may give them fever.

October 21, 2020October 21, 2020

WARNING! SCANNERS MAY BE SCAMMERS

Have you ever noticed someone checking their receipts before leaving the grocery store? I stopped doing it a long time ago, because I trusted the clerks to scan items correctly. That’s all changed during this pandemic. Many of the clerks are new, and poorly trained. The seasoned ones are overwhelmed with the volume of food coming down the conveyor belt. Warning: scanners may be scammers. Costly supermarket checkout mistakes are becoming more frequent.

It started last month. My husband came home from the store and glanced at his receipt. It listed two cartons of ice cream. And yet, he’d only bought one. We looked in the car again, thinking maybe he actually had unwittingly picked up two cartons. But he hadn’t. It wasn’t really a big deal, but since I was going back to that same store the next day, I offered to try and get it corrected. Since we’ve been shopping there for over 30 years, they usually take my word for things. However, when I got to the business office , there were about 10 people waiting in line to cash checks, make returns, etc. It seemed like more trouble than it was worth for $4.00—especially with my arthritic knees. I shrugged, and chalked it up to experience.

A week later, at a different supermarket, I bought one frozen dinner. When I got home, my receipt said I’d purchased two. I knew that was wrong, but again, it seemed like a lot of trouble to go back and make a complaint—especially since this is a newer store, where I’m not known.

during this pandemic, clerks are making mistakes at the checkout. Scanners may be scammers. — Warning: Scanners May be Scammers. Store clerks are overwhelmed during this pandemic, and making mistakes that cost you money

It happened again this week at yet a third superstore. All the checkout lanes had long waiting lines. Everyone’s cart was loaded. No one goes to the supermarket to pick up a few things these days. They mask up, and grimly load up for the long term. The clerk seemed confused. She didn’t know the difference between a plantain and a banana, and she had to look it up. Maybe she was new on the job. I didn’t look at my receipt– just wanted to get out of there, since an unmasked man in the line was talking loudly. When I got home, I saw that she had scanned a carton of Kool Whip twice, and I’d only purchased one.

Are the clerks scanning one item twice on purpose? Of course not. They’re simply rushed, nervous, and often poorly trained. But now, I know better. This pandemic has left everyone confused. Therefore, receipts should be checked—not inside the store while close to other people, but before leaving the parking lot.

Warning: grocery store checkout mistakes are happening more often during this pandemic. Scanners may be scammers.

September 14, 2020September 14, 2020

UNPAID CAREGIVERS ARE UNSUNG HEROES

During this pandemic, city parks have provided much needed relief from enforced isolation. Every shelter is occupied on holidays and weekends, and the roads are heavy with traffic slowly navigating around joggers and walkers. Also, we’re suddenly seeing more caregivers of disabled children or aging parents. Did you know that approximately 43.5 million caregivers have provided unpaid care to an adult or child in the last 12 months? Unless you are a caregiver, you may not realize what a difficult task these people are performing. Unpaid caregivers are unsung heroes.

There are varying degrees of caregiving, but all of them require patience and empathy. Aging parents may require just a bit of help with shopping and household tasks. But a sick or disabled child or spouse often requires full time commitment. Lately, at the park, I’ve seen many more children in wheelchairs with missing limbs or other handicaps. . My heart goes out to the parents who so lovingly devote their lives to the care of their children. Where do caregivers get their strength? I guess it’s the power of love.

Caregiving can be a lonely business, leading to caregiver burnout. Often, it falls on one person in a family. Other relatives and friends go about their lives without much regard for the day to day efforts required to take care of a disabled or handicapped person. When you’re the only one who can shop, cook, clean and run errands while taking care of a person’s needs, you often feel worn out and forgotten. What’s worse is seeing a loved one through episodes of pain or suffering with no one around to comfort them but you.

Unfortunately, caregiving is highly stressful and hazardous to the health. Thirty percent of caregivers die before the people they care for do. A 2003 study of caregivers by a research team at Ohio State University discovered a significant deterioration in the health of caregivers when compared to a similar group of non-caregivers. Even more disturbing is the fact that caregivers had a 63 percent higher death rate than the control group. Before the end of the 6-year study, 70 percent of the caregivers died and had to be replaced.

What can we do to help caregivers? If they’re strangers we encounter in public places, perhaps all we can do is open a door, or give a smile of encouragement. It get’s a little more complicated if they are family or friends. The last thing a caregiver wants is advice or implied criticism. What they really need is your emotional support and appreciation. A phone call or visit means a lot. Just let them know they’re not alone in all of this.

Unpaid caregivers are unsung heroes.

August 12, 2020August 12, 2020

LESSONS LEARNED FROM DERECHO

Derecho storm 2020 swept through our city on Monday night, downing trees and wreaking havoc with electric power lines. Some neighborhoods have more trees than others, so power outages are sporadic. We live on the outskirts of the city, surrounded by great big old trees. Usually a blessing, but not during this latest wind/rain storm that barreled across the Midwest at 90 miles per hour. We got through an 18 hour power outage, but as octogenarians, it was tough. Here are the lessons learned from Derecho.

Morning coffee is a necessity. But if the power’s off, you’re not going to have any. Unless, of course, you are a camper or someone who has the foresight to have a battery operated coffee maker. We don’t do any camping these days, so we were out of luck.

Lessons learned from Derecho. Have battery operated devices. — Lessons learned from Derecho. Remember the Scout motto: Be Prepared!

Learn how to open garage door by hand. Years ago, we sold a vintage Volkswagen convertible and spent the proceeds on an electric garage door. There’s just one problem. It doesn’t work in a power outage. We were told at the time how to open the door manually, but we forgot. Consequently, we weren’t able to get to our car to go searching for someplace selling coffee until after we could get in touch with the garage door company. This is after 10 o‘clock. Hey, there’s a little hand pull that unlocks the door. Then you push it up by hand, folks. Simple? Yes. How could we have been so dumb? By that time, we’d made an emergency call to our son who went scouting around the city and found us some coffee at a McDonalds. That’s pretty good coffee, by the way.

You may need some sleep aids. The power went off at 6:30 p.m. No TV, no internet. Fortunately, we had several flashlights and candles to light our path. We drank wine, ate some gifted chocolate candy, and talked for hours. I can’t remember much of our conversation. I guess we solved all the problems of the world.

By this time, we’re wired. Still waiting for power. Finally decided to go to bed and sleep though the whole thing. That didn’t work. We’re both waking every hour, wondering if /or when the power is going back on. Our next door neighbors said they had the same experience. Looking back, I think I would have taken a Benadryl or whatever you keep in your medicine cabinet to help you get to sleep when you’re upset.

Heating/cooling system stops working. In our case, it had been 90 degrees outside. After the storm, we opened the windows, but the house was still hot and stuffy. We got to wondering about a winter power outage. We have an all electric home. This power outage lasted 18 hours, but at least we were warm. What if it happens again in January? Again, we need some camping equipment. We’re going to buy some camping heaters ASAP, before we forget what it’s like when the power goes out. Might even invest in a coffee maker.

Ditch the damned diet. It’s hard to eat healthy at a time like this. You don’t want to keep opening and closing the refrigerator and freezer doors. Can’t make smoothies because the blender doesn’t work. No soup, because you can’t heat it. Grab some peanut butter and crackers. Cheese. Junk food, if you have it stashed in the cupboard. Maybe some chocolate bars. No restaurants for us during this pandemic. So, it’s drive-through hamburgers and French fries for dinner. Don’t weigh yourself when it’s over.

Remember the boy scout motto before the next Derecho: Be prepared!

June 19, 2020June 19, 2020

BEST GIFT FOR AGING DAD

Forget the shirts and chocolates this Father’s Day. If your Dad is aging in place, there’s something much better you can give him . Stop by his home and look around. Is there a flower bed that needs weeding? A broken screen door? A room that could use a coat of paint? If you’re able to tackle one of those small jobs, that is the best gift for your aging Dad.

A home visit, some home repairs, is the best Father's Day Present. — Best gift for the aging Dad might be a visit from great grandchildren, or some help with home repairs.

In our modern culture, many of us no longer have grown children living nearby. But what a blessing for those who do. My husband’s three kids are close enough to help out with occasional chores and home repairs. Recently, one son replaced our mailbox after it collapsed on the driveway. Another fixed a fallen down light pole. And his sweet daughter planted geraniums in our window box and outdoor planters. Her husband pitched in, too. Removing a picture window that hadn’t been washed from the inside for years, then putting it back more securely in place. And best of all, a visit from a great grandchild. Those are the most wonderful Fathers Day presents any man could ask for.

A few elderly widows live along our street. As we sit on our front porch, we see their children drive in the driveway. I don’t know whether they are bringing food, doing laundry, or just visiting. But they are making a big difference in their mother’s lives. Because of their help and loving concern, their parent can stay in her own home.

This may not have seemed as important before the coronavirus hit. But now, those folks who moved to retirement communities were confined to their rooms for months. Seniors living in their own homes had much more freedom and less fear of catching covid-19.

If and when the time comes that we need help with the ordinary activities of daily life, we will opt for assisted living. We don’t expect our children to be our caregivers. But for now, we feel blessed by their kindness. And just knowing they are there for us means a lot.

The best gift for your aging Dad might be replacing that flickering florescent light bulb in the kitchen. There’s a special place in heaven for those who look out for their elderly parents.

Happy Father’s Day!

April 10, 2020April 10, 2020

STOP YELLING AT HEARING IMPAIRED

Do you have a parent or grandparent who is hard of hearing? Or maybe you’re noticing that your grandchildren need to speak up. If so, you may feel frustrated. If there’s one thing that upsets people, it’s when you ask them to repeat themselves. Instead of turning up the volume slightly, the tendency is to over react. Please don’t do that. It isn’t necessary. Stop yelling at hearing impaired people.

Just because someone is hard of hearing, you needn't yell at them — Stop Yelling At Hearing Impaired. Just face them and speak clearly. Raise your voice slightly until you can see they understand.

My Dad wore hearing aids for twenty five years. That’s when my hearing was perfect. I can remember getting upset one time when he didn’t understand what I said. I did actually yell at him. It was concerning a legal matter, and I was in a bad mood to begin with. Luckily, my Dad wasn’t the type to hold a grudge, and he didn’t get mad at me. But later, I was mad at myself for not being more considerate.

One of the unfortunate side effects of longevity is hearing loss. 50% of those over eighty years of age experience some. Mine began in my late seventies, when I started having trouble hearing my grandchildren. My husband’s hearing is much worse than mine, perhaps because he grew up around noisy farm machinery. I think my hearing loss is probably genetic.

Both of us wear hearing aids without embarrassment. However, we’re in the minority. Only a third of people who need hearing aids actually wear them. Most insurance policies don’t cover them. And even if they can afford them, most old people feel that they would be stigmatized if people knew they wore hearing aids.

But even the best hearing aids aren’t 100% effective. They don’t work well in gymnasiums or in places with high traffic. One of the worst problems we experience is talking on the phone to customer service representatives. For whatever reason, many tech support people have foreign accents. Not only that, they speak rapidly. And they do not suffer fools gladly. If you ask them to repeat themselves, or to speak more slowly and distinctly, they may become irritable and impatient. Often, they will simply hang up.

Friends and acquaintances are apt to be more tolerant when you explain you don’t hear well. But close relatives may find it hard to adjust to this new sign of aging. Why can’t you hear them like you used to? Maybe it scares them a little bit.

Here’s what to do if you are speaking to a hearing impaired person. Look at them directly, face to face, when you speak. Don’t turn your back or mumble. Don’t expect they’ll hear you if you’re in another room. All it takes is some common sense and a little patience. Make an effort to speak more clearly, and slightly louder until you’ve made sure they understand. Stop yelling at hearing impaired people. It’s condescending and demeaning. And there’s a good chance you’ll be in their same situation if you live long enough.

March 27, 2020March 27, 2020

WHY WEAR A FACE MASK?

A couple of weeks ago, the the CDC advised us not to bother wearing surgical face masks in public. They said it wouldn’t protect us at all from the coronavirus, and might even make things worse. Because if we touched our face while fiddling around with the mask, we would be spreading the virus near the mucous membranes in our mouth and nose. I believed that. But guess what? I’ve changed my mind. Why do I wear a face mask when going to the store?

The idea began when I noticed cashiers seemed apprehensive as I approached the checkout. They were unfriendly and didn’t smile. It occurred to me that they were afraid of my standing so close and breathing on them. It turns out that stores like Target and Kroger are addressing that fear by installing Plexiglas barriers between the customer and the cash register clerks.

Wearing a fase mask in public relieves fear of others near you — Even though a face mask doesn’t offer protection against the virus, it makes nearby people feel assured that you’re not breathing on them. . That’s why I wear a face mask.

Last Saturday was the first time I went to the drug store wearing a mask. I was afraid I would stand out, and look kind of freakish. But half of the few people in that pharmacy were also wearing face masks. I was one of the crowd! By now, I’ve begun wearing a surgical mask to the store simply because I don’t want to spread my germs around. I have no symptoms, but that doesn’t mean I’m not coming down with the virus. I’m not wearing the mask to protect myself, so much as to put others at ease. And this time, the cashier at the checkout was friendly.

Another reason to wear the face mask: Last night’s weatherman announced we have a high pollen count. People with spring allergies might start sneezing, but he cautioned them not to panic. Unless they develop a fever or more serious symptoms they shouldn’t conclude that they have the coronavirus. I am one of those people allergic to pollen. My nose drips off and on all spring, depending on what tress are blossoming. If I go to the store with a dripping nose, it’s going to scare people to death. Wearing the mask filters the pollen so that I don’t sneeze. Also, no one has to worry that I’m sending droplets into the air.

Tag: senior living