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 18th
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
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