There are lots of stories about people helping people deal with this pandemic, but this one struck me. Hannah Lucas in Maine literally goes the extra mile…so do her mush dogs. Read Mush! Dog Team Delivers Supplies To Elderly Residents Shut In By Virus.
Trees, nature’s air purifiers, are inexpensive and easy to plant. In my area (San Jose), there’s an organization called Our City Forest. It helps people choose the right tree for their location, demonstrates how to plant it, and gives it to to the person for free (donation requested). If the person is older or disabled, they’ll even send out someone to plant it for them.
Does your community have such an organization? If not, propose it. See Our City Forest details at www.ourcityforest.org so you can offer your city some information about how a successful program can operate.
[For more easy, money-saving, Earth-friendly tips, download a FREE copy of Green Riches: Help the Earth & Your Budget. Go to www.Smashwords.com/books/view/7000 or your favorite e-book seller and download to your computer or e-book device. Totally free, with no strings attached.]
The AARP has put out a short informative article, titled How to Recognize a Robocall, that is worth paying attention to. It discusses four major fraudulent calls most of us are repeatedly getting, especially older adults, whom the scammers deem easy targets. Those calls relate to health insurance, missed jury duty, Social Security being cut off, and a request the person supposedly made to alleviate their pain. Read this article, be aware, and make sure your older loved ones are vigilant when answering the phone.
Some elderly people don’t trust vote-by-mail but can’t drive themselves to the polls. In some families, the breadwinner has the only car, and they’re at work. In some places, there are few polling places, often not near where people live. Whatever the reason, in 2016, 15+ million people registered but didn’t vote because of transportation problems.
Lyft plans to enable more people to exercise their American right to vote. They’ll offer half-price rides to the polls–even free rides in some instances. They’ll encourage voting, too, by having drivers remind passengers of registration deadlines and hand out registration information and materials. Plus, they’ll offer voter registration for their employees at the Lyft offices.
I applaud what Lyft is doing. Voting is not only our right, it’s our responsibility. And, as close elections prove, every single ballot elderly,cast (or not cast) really does matter.
Get details at https://blog.lyft.com/posts/2018/8/22/get-out-the-vote
We’re in the middle of feel-good Spring. It’s the time when we have Spring-Cleaning Fever. In the process, we notice repairs that need to be done and hazards that need to be un-hazarded. But what about people who are incapable of doing those chores? You probably know an elderly or infirm person who lives alone and doesn’t have aware family nearby. Or a single mom with her hands full with work and children. And you probably can spare a Saturday afternoon for a visit and safety check.
You can check locks on his windows, doors, and gates, tighten their screws, and make sure they work properly. You can test her fire, smoke, break-in, and medical emergency systems and put in new batteries. Or replace burned-out light bulbs (house, porch, outside security light) and frayed electrical cords. Move those flammable items from around the water heater, furnace, gas range—anywhere there’s a flame. Clean debris from the clothes dryer (from drum to where the air vents outdoors)—a big, often overlooked fire hazard. I have more safety ideas if you need them.
Take your kids to help. Not only will the recipient of your labor be safe, but also your children will learn that we need keep others in mind and look out for each other.
Would you choose to live with elderly people, many sick and dying, if you were a college student? How about if you lived there rent-free? How would the residents react? This is a Dutch experiment that is so successful it’s being tried elsewhere. It’s an interesting mix of generations living together for mutual benefit. Considering how poorly treated (and ignored) so many elderly Americanism are, I’d like to see this Humanitas program widespread in our country.
For a 2 1/2 minute overview, view this video.
For a more in-depth look, go to “My 93-Year-Old Flatmate.”
[Maybe it’s my age, but this article from The Telegraph makes sense to me. Thanks to Verne Meade for sending me this.]
“Last Will and Embezzlement”—that’s a film worth watching. It describes the financial exploitation of the elderly. The problem is widespread and can happen to anyone, even Mickey Rooney, and it is perpetrated by cleaver strangers, close friends, and “loving” relatives. Yet, such abuse is often not reported. Even when it is reported, prosecution is difficult—IF the legal system will even bother to prosecute. This eye-opening documentary presents several cases, giving us an idea of what to watch out for with our loved ones. You can find the 2012 film on Netflix and probably elsewhere. If you have elderly friends or relatives, or if you’re aging (we’ll ALL get there), it’s worth the 1 hour 22 minutes you’ll spend watching it. (See the trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJCDQpqHPEQ.)