All Posts in "Spotlight"

Goodyear tire demo at the Tacoma Dome in September 2012.

In September, I received a phone call from a Goodyear representative who wanted to know if I were interested in attending a demonstration about tires.  If you’ve been reading the “Senior Scene” for any length of time, you know the paper doesn’t have an automobile section.  So I nearly told the rep that I wasn’t interested except that I’d received several phone calls recently and it got me to thinking.

After about the age of 16, we take the act of driving for granted.  Gone are the days when only the man in the family drives.  Most families financially support multiple vehicles and their various insurances and expensive-to-fill gas tanks.  All that changes if a health crisis occurs.  One of my callers had just been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.  She was still early in the life of the disease, but as soon as she received the diagnosis, she discovered she needed to take a driver’s test.  The second caller had had a stroke.  She needed to take a test to be able to drive again.  Both callers began to see just how much narrower their lives might become based on a test many of us will usually have only a handful of times.  Transportation options are extremely limited, especially for folks who may have not been limited since the days when their folks told them they had to be back by night fall.  And with limited transportation comes limited opportunities to go out just for fun or to meet up with friends or family.  Your big world can just that quickly become limited to how far you can walk or whether or not you’re on an active bus line.  See how your driving stacks up here.

So I went.  A whole passel of Goodyear folks showed up to take a BMW 321i for a test drive and experience the difference between the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric All-Season and Michelin’s similar high performance tire.  And then there was me.  In all honesty, there are little old ladies that probably complain that I drive like a little old lady.  I don’t like paying for the privilege of getting to the next location a few minutes sooner so I drive speed limit and follow all traffic laws.  This makes me a good driver (maybe) but not a gutsy driver.

The Goodyear employees were all men and they blew through the course as if it were a life-time personal dream of theirs to recklessly drive someone else’s vehicle.  Driving at my much more sedate speed meant there wasn’t really much difference between one tire and the next.
At the break between driving a dry course and a wet course, a Goodyear rep talked about how Texas just changed their highway speed to 85 miles per hour and how other states are thinking about following suit and suddenly high performance tires made a whole lot more sense, especially if I was thinking about doing any traveling.

This leads me to a second reason to write about driving in the “Senior Scene.”  Despite Perry Como’s song about our skies, on this side of the mountain you’re more likely to see rain than sun.  Dry weather isn’t necessarily the best thing either, since the first real rain we get after a dry spell turns our streets into oil slicks.  The most frequent noise on the hills around Tacoma after a rain is the scream of tires trying to get traction.  Stopping half-way up a hill because a traffic light turned red can turn you into a believer in good tires.  Regardless of what tire you have on your car, replacing tires when the tread becomes worn, keeping your tires properly inflated and driving at a slower pace will increase your traction.  See here for more tips.

The Goodyear course was set up at the Tacoma Dome.  It was nice and flat with sprinkler systems arranged to simulate an easy rainfall.  Driving at or just above highway speeds and changing lanes on wet pavement to avoid the knucklehead who just pulled in front of you pretty closely resembles what driving the track was like.  I’d like to say that all on my own, I ratcheted up my driving but it honestly took a professional driver sitting in the suicide seat and giving me pointers to get me flying through the wet course.

This is point number three that I wanted to make.  It’s been decades since I took a driving test.  Even at my usual speed, the professional beside me had some tips to improve my driving.  Once I achieved a faster speed, he very patiently provided even more guidelines.  Most of us believe that if our passengers can ride without clinging to the suicide strap or pumping their feet through the floor and we mostly avoid traffic tickets that we’re safe drivers.  We drive but we don’t spend time analyzing our driving.  It was educational to sit next to someone whose work life is dedicated to driving.  I was excited when I walked off that track which made me wonder, “Wouldn’t it be great if everyone could experience that.”  They ought to have classes or something that allowed you to drive around at breakneck speed and build your confidence level.  Well, of course my trademarked idea was already being used.  Check out the driving school sidebar.

So, did I see a difference in performance between Goodyear’s tires and Michelin’s.  Yes.  I don’t know if that’s because the track was stacked with a bias for Goodyear or not as I honestly still don’t know much about tires but I definitely believe you should buy the best tire you can afford.  If you can afford it that might be the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric All-Season.  But, I also believe that you’re always happiest with a product when the team responsible for helping you make the decision listens to you, works within your limitations and genuinely wants your experience to be the best it can be and maybe that’s the real reason I walked off that track with the world’s biggest smile.

Bonnie Dickson by — September 25, 2012 in Spotlight

Marymount Manor residents get together each Wednesday to knit items for charity.

It really shouldn’t be surprising that when you get a bunch of women together, you get a lot of noise.  Well and food.  Lots of food.  Although the noise thing is a pretty good factor, too.  Which doesn’t bode well to the idea that all these women, 18-20 of them each Wednesday afternoon, are doing so in order to knit for charity.  But knit they do.  A year ago in June, Georgie Springer and several residents from Marymount Manor, 317 152nd St E, in Spanaway decided to knit for charity.  They knit lap robes for nursing homes and hats for chemo patients, particularly men as there is a need for them.  They knit baby blankets and baby booties and scarves.  “In the first three months,” said Patricia Marvin, “we made 300 pieces.”

As you can imagine, all those pieces require patterns and few people like to do the same thing over and over again so Springer is always looking for more patterns.   Then someone sent her an article cut from a newspaper and on the back was an article about plarn.  Plarn comes from plastic bags that have been cut into strips.  The strips are then knit or crocheted, just like yarn, into items such as hats, sandals and mats.  The ladies make mats to keep homeless folks off the ground.  The mats also generate or reflect heat.  The additional benefit to plarn is that it’s abundantly available at no cost.  It takes 700 bags to make a mat.  That’s 700 bags that don’t see the landfill, or float ghostlike through the landscape

Anyone can join the group.  You don’t even have to knit.  Barbara Riffle said she’s the mascot and that at 83 years old, she sees her job as keeping the rest in line.   And Janie Hildahl rolls yarn and untangles skeins because, “I was a big tom boy and never learned to knit.”  She adds though that it’s “nice to get together with the girls.” Debbie Walters “rolls the yarn for the girls” and cuts strips.  “I’m left handed,” she said, “and it’s hard for me to do.  It’s just something nice to do in the afternoon…get together and gossip.”  Of course there is a lot of laughter as well.  Char Bowman suggested that the article should be called, “When old ladies go wild.”

Of course someone has to do the work of crocheting or knitting.  Marvin said she’s been crocheting since 1963 and that it’s good for her arthritis.  Ethel Haddentan specializes in crocheting blocks for afghans.  Nadine Abbott knits and crochets and has been doing both for decades.  She makes mittens and repairs and finishes other projects.  She also lauds the health benefits of hand work.  She was in a car accident and her cousin brought her some yarn, needles and instructions.

Judie Denoo prefers to multi-task.  “I cause a lot of trouble.  I’ve been a knitter and then Char (Bowman) taught me how to crochet.  My main job is to put together the squares.”  Denoo added, “We‘ve had family members come in.  I’ve had my granddaughter come in.  She’s just started and she’s better than all of us.”

Denoo and Springer are neighbors.   Springer has the yarn and Denoo hs the finished product.  “Wall to wall yarn,” added Springer.  “Thank God for my computer.”
The group aims for having fun.  “Perfection is not our goal,” said Springer.  “We have fun.  I look forward to Wednesdays.”

If you are interested in donating supplies or becoming a member of the group, call (253) 537-8910.

Bonnie Dickson by — August 28, 2012 in Spotlight

Pat Ditter uses a break from caregiving to work on her quilts. Photo by Bob Riler.

 

Bob Riler
For Pierce County ADRC

Ditter is not alone.  According to the National Family Caregivers Association, more than 29 percent of the U.S. population provides care for a chronically ill, disabled or aged family member or friend.

Like most other caregivers, Ditter couldn’t do it alone.  “Caregiving can get pretty lonely,” she said.  She made a call to the Aging and Disability Resource Center (253-798-4600) and now gets regular help from the Family Caregiver Support Program, a service of Pierce County Community Connections.

Eight hours each week a caregiver from Lutheran Community Services gives her a break and takes the responsibility off her shoulders.   The Family Caregiver Support Program helps pay for that service allowing her to do things, like quilting.

Now, more families who are caring for a loved one will be able to receive a break like that thanks to an increase in funding provided to the Family Caregiver Support Program.  The program provides services that support and sustain the caregiver–spouse, relative or friend–who is caring for a disabled adult 18 years of age or older.

The Washington State Legislature has allocated a 30 percent increase in funding for the program in Pierce County.  The program helps unpaid care providers cope with the stresses and demands of giving care and helps care recipients remain in their own homes rather than have to move into more expensive formal caregiving settings.

“There’s tremendous logic to this increase in funding,” said Connie Kline, Social Services Supervisor with Pierce County.  “A little bit of support provided to a family can prevent or delay people needing much more expensive support.  The Family Caregiver Support Program is a wise investment and a special help to families working to keep their loved ones at home.”

Currently, the program supports 372 Pierce County families.  The enhanced funding will allow an additional 167 families to receive help.

“Eight hours doesn’t seem like a lot but it does wonders for my spirit,” said Ditter.  She had to learn how to accept that help.  “The first few times Joe came and I said to myself, ‘Now what do I do?’  Eventually I learned just how much there is to do.”

The Family Caregiver Support Program provides a number of important services designed to help the caregiver: information about and connection to needed resources and services; education to caregivers on diseases and planning; minor adaptive equipment; help with problem solving and coping skills; therapies to relieve stress and support health; and respite, the kind of help that keeps Ditter going.

Caregivers who receive help from the Family Caregiver Support Program cannot be receiving Medicaid services.  Some services are available on a sliding fee scale while others are available free of charge with a limited maximum allowance per caregiver.

For a few hours each week, Ditter can focus on quilting, a hobby she picked up after retirement.  “John is very proud of what I have produced,” she said.  “Whenever people come over, John points to my quilts and says, ‘Pat did that!’”  And that praise does wonders for her spirit.

More information is available by calling the Pierce County Aging and Disability Resource Center at (253) 798-4600 or (800) 562-0332 or by visiting www.PierceCountyWA.org/FCSP.

Contributing Author by — July 30, 2012 in Spotlight
First ever Pierce County event recognizes “Angels on earth”

Karen Lueshen
Karen Lueshen examines the award she received in recognition of her caregiving at a HCPC event in May.

On May 23, Healthcare Providers Council of Pierce County (HCPC) honored 35 Pierce County caregivers at an award ceremony at The Weatherly Inn in Tacoma.  Lynessa Tinglum, a community outreach coordinator with Advanced Health Care and Kelly Smith Chambers, owner of Visiting Angels in Tacoma both belong to organizations in Thurston County that recognize the contributions of caregivers in the community.  They also belong to HCPC, a non-profit organization made up of individuals working in organizations that provide services to seniors in Pierce County.  They pushed for the first ever recognition event in Pierce County and began taking applications two months ago.  They received 55 nominations with one nominee, Jennette Moore, receiving 13 nominations.  Thirty-five caregivers were chosen for recognition and six were chosen as special honorees.  They were Hipolito Ciriaco, Lolita Howard-Canty, Karen Lueshen, Jennette Moore, Denise Ramsey, and Jay Webb

It takes a special sort of person to be a caregiver.  In the nomination letters, clients’ families regularly used the word blessing to refer to the care given a loved one and caregivers spoke frequently of the gratitude they feel towards the people they care for.

Smith Chambers read a list of skills and practices she said were the theme of the nomination letters HCPC received.  Things like smiles, sees something and gets it done, and punctual were interspersed with personal touches like cooks from scratch and brings fresh flowers.  “If you need a copy for some training materials,” Smith Chambers offered the businesses that attended, “I can send it to you.”

Every nominee received an award and a copy of the nomination letter.  Cobb was touched by her nomination letter as was Lueshen who seemed overwhelmed and was still teary eyed an hour after receiving her award.  While most of the individuals nominated worked in the senior care industry, Lueshen was nominated by the Bonney Lake Senior Center for her work with seniors especially her neighbor, Florence.  Towards the end of Florence’s life, Lueshen took her to a Jazz festival so that she could be around the “music that she loved one last time.”  Lueshen said she’d completely forgotten the trip but Florence had been so excited she had bought three new outfits, one for each day of the festival, and she’d insisted on wearing strand after strand of beads each day of the festival.

Lolita Howard-Canty receives a caregiver recognition award from Darol Tuttle and Kelly Smith Chambers.

Bathing is a big deal for many clients as many caregivers know so it wasn’t surprising that Jennette Moore from Charlton Place in Tacoma won praises for the “best shower I’ve ever had.”  Hipolito Ciriaco, the owner of Grace Joy Adult Family Home in University Place was nominated by a family that was having trouble with an elderly father that refused to bathe and was angry about being moved.  Ciriaco showed up wearing scrubs and convinced the man to come with him, eventually the man became comfortable enough to bathe for the first time in six weeks.

Lolita Howard-Canty and Denise Ramsey’s clothes hide wings.  Ramsey’s nomination letter said, “God sent us an angel.”  Jesus speaks of abundance the letter went on to say and “Denise put that abundance into our lives.”  Howard-Canty’s nomination letter called her “our angel on earth.”

Bonnie Dickson by — July 3, 2012 in Spotlight