Aging Well in the Gorge October 17th 2017

Do you care for a loved one? Maybe you help with their grocery shopping, house cleaning, medications or provide emotional support. Or maybe you are a 24/7 caregiver caring for a spouse with advanced dementia or a serious chronic condition, assisting with their personal care and daily activities.

If you are caring for someone and are not paid, you are one of approximately 34.2 million family caregivers in America who provide unpaid care to an adult age 50 or older. To acknowledge the importance of caregivers and their invaluable contribution to our communities, November has been designated National Family Caregivers Month.

In conjunction with National Family Caregivers Month, there is going to be the first ever gorge wide Caregiver Appreciation Day. It will be held on Saturday, November 4th from 10:00 – 4:00 at The Hood River Valley Adult Center (2010 Sterling Place, Hood River). It is free to all unpaid caregivers in the Gorge, and respite care for a loved one will be available. (Screening required.)

The event will start with opportunities for caregivers to pamper themselves: massage, acupuncture, and self-care workshops, followed by lunch with keynote speaker, Dr. Elizabeth Eckstrom, geriatrician at OHSU and co-author of The Gift of Caring. Then in the afternoon there will be educational sessions.

If you are an unpaid caregiver or know of anyone who is, you can register by going to the registration site at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1st-annual-caregiver-appreciation-day-tickets-37463570548. Or if you are unable to register online, contact either Melissa at 541-298-4101 ext. 1005, or Britta at 541-298-4101 ext. 1007 at the Area Agency on Aging. This event is organized by the Area Agency on Aging, Providence Volunteers-in-Action, Hood River Valley Adult Center and sponsored by many local organizations and businesses.

Caregiving is rewarding, but also demanding. Here are ten tips from the Caregiver Action Network to help caregivers care for themselves while caring for another.

1. Seek support from other caregivers. You are not alone! 2. Take care of your own health so that you can be strong enough to take care of your loved one. 3. Accept offers of help and suggest specific things people can do to help you. 4. Learn how to communicate effectively with doctors. 5. Be open to new technologies that can help you care for your loved one. 6. Watch out for signs of depression and don't delay getting professional help when you need it. 7. Caregiving is hard work so take respite breaks often. 8. Organize medical information so it's up to date and easy to find. 9. Make sure legal

documents are in order. 10. Give yourself credit for doing the best you can in one of the toughest jobs there is!

What is this Blue Zone Project that has come to The Dalles? And why are the zones called blue? If you would like to learn more about the local Blue Zones project and the 9 components of living a longer, healthier, and happier life, you are invited to attend the Wednesday Lecture at the Center on October 18^th from 11:00 – 12:00.

The name of the television show that aired on NBC from 1950 – 1959 and featured versions of the top songs in America was “Your Hit Parade”. (I received correct answers from Jim AYERS, Don McAllister, and she who does not want to be mentioned. But this week’s winner of a quilt raffle ticket is Tiiu Vahtel - who can still remembers the closing song.)

Fashion is a funny business with fashion trends recycling through time. Today you see all ages of people wearing skinny pants thanks to the new elastic materials. But back in my high school days, skinny pants were also the “cool” thing to wear. And since I couldn’t find them in the stores, I had to beg my mom to sew the pant legs so skin tight I could barely push my feet through them. For this week’s “Remember When” question what was this style of pants called? Email your answer to www.mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, leave a message at 541-296-4788 or drop it off with a picture of yourself wearing this kind of pants.  

Well, it’s been another week, wondering what good news will come next. Until we meet again, as anonymous once said, “Maturity is the art of living in peace with that which we cannot change.”

“My motto was always to keep swinging. Whether I was in a slump or feeling badly or having trouble off the field, the only thing to do was keep swinging.” Hank Aaron