Page 5 - Senior Times South Central Michigan - December 2018 - 25-12

Senior Times - December 2018
Page 5
PLAN AHEAD FOR SAFETY WITH CONFIDENCE
By: Anne Clark, Senior Health Partners
Here we are... December already; the year has come and gone. Another change in season, the weather changes, the storefronts change, the mind- sets of many changes – change, change, change similar to family caregiving; changes, many changes.
With any chronic condition there are factors that come into play as far as safety goes. A couple examples are:
• If you use a walker, use it properly and as
instructed for your safety, which can provide a
better quality of life.
• If you’re a diabetic, watch your diet and know
nutritional values; it is important for your health safety, which could become a physical safety risk issue.
So when you think about safety, I encourage you to think very broadly as it can mean so many different things depending on what type of con- dition you are dealing with and who all is in your support circle.
Another question regarding safety is, do you only think about the person you are caring for
or do you think about yourself to? I ask because many times, when we’re not really thinking about ourselves, we really tend to let our guard down no matter the situation.
I spoke with a person last week that could hardly walk. He was bent to the side and slowly moving, but he was moving. When I asked what had happened, he let me know that he had picked someone up that had fallen because, “I couldn’t let him stay there.” What you should know is that the person doing the picking up has many health issues himself. Recently he had heart surgery so he isn’t even supposed to be lifting anything heavy. At his stage in recovery he was supposed to be exercising but that meant walking only short distances. He was in no condition to be lifting another person
at 87 years of age. And while he didn’t want to leave the person that had fallen, he did not stop to
consider that he may have injured himself further, the person that had fallen further, or possibly have fallen himself in the process and then where would they both be? Maybe for everyone it would have been safer to call and ask for assistance. Or was there another solution that could have been used?
It’s always easy when you’re not in the mid- dle of a crisis to think about these things but safety isn’t just about the person in crisis or those not in crisis; it’s about everyone who’s involved, it can be an innocent bystander.
I hear so many stories from caregivers about issues that have happened and how they reacted; the conversation continues to, “Could it have been handled differently?” We just really never stop to think about the consequences of what was done.
For the best solution while in a crisis consid- er taking a step back, taking a nice deep breath, and assessing the situation. Pausing for a moment helps us to make better choices for all involved. And again, it’s easier said than done but trying to change our mindset is a good beginning step.
With the busy season upon us, I suggest we
take time to stop and think about some, ‘what-ifs’ and a solution for those. Even if it’s just a couple such as what happens if I fall and I can’t get to
a phone (perfect reason why having a Personal Emergency Response System or carrying a cell phone is important)? Or what if I suddenly get sick and I’m unable to care for my person (great time to have plans A, B, and C for those times we cannot perform the duties we are responsible for)? There are many situations we could find ourselves in but guaranteed being proactive vs. reactive helps us all to make better decisions and there are situations we can plan for in advance.
Try to handle one area in your life (care plan, environment, driving, grocery shopping, items in your cupboard that are hard to reach, etc.) at a time and see if there are risks being presented; especial- ly fall risks. Sometimes it’s those little areas of our life that pose the biggest risk.
The more prepared you are, the more confident you are, less stressed, and better care you are able to provide – not just for the person you’re caring for but also for yourself. You are important, just as important; MORE important than you think. Take care of you, safely and confidently!
Happy December!
CITY
Hastings Woodland
Albion Battle Creek Battle Creek Homer Marshall
Jackson Jackson Napoleon Spring Arbor
LOCATION
COA Building Eagles Club
FACILITATOR
Mary Cook Kristy Estep
PHONE DAYS
(269) 948-4856 M-F
(269) 367-4041 M,W,F
TIME
10am-2pm
10:30am-1pm
SENIOR DINING CENTERS
BARRY COUNTY
Delton
Faith United Methodist
Angela Soya
(269) 579-3918
M,W,T
11am-1pm
Nashville
Main St. Banqets
Jenny Burlison
(517) 213-9212
M-F
10:30am-1pm
Meals provided by Barry County Commission on Aging. A program sponsored by Barry County United Way.
BRANCH COUNTY
Coldwater
Coldwater Church of Christ
Alisha Carr
(517) 279-8249
M,T,Th,F
9am-1pm
Lunch Served at 12pm
Meals provided by Community Action Food and Nutritional Services. Funding sources AAA 3C, Branch County United Way, USDA and private donations.
CALHOUN COUNTY
Albion
Albion Forks Senior Dining Center
Cynthia Rose
(866) 200-8877
M,T,W,F
10:30am-1pm
Lunch served at 12pm
Clarence Township Dining Center Cherryhill Manor Senior Center Springview Towers Dining Center Homer Presbyterian Church Marshall House Dining Center
Crouch Senior Center
King Rec Center, Food with Friends Napoleon Township Hall
Spring Arbor Senior Center
Mark Rice
Constance Siegel Eileen Worthington Senior Health Partners Deb Trescott
Laurie Mead Laurie Mead Gail Jamieson
Shimone Glaspie
(866) 200-8877 (866) 200-8877 (866) 200-8877 (866) 200-8877 (866) 200-8877
(517) 788-4364 (517) 788-4364 (517) 788-4364
(517) 750-1010
M,T,W M,T,W,Th,F M,T,W,F
T
M,W,F
M,T,W,Th,F M,T,W,Th,F T, Th M,T,W,Th,F
10:30am-1pm 10:30am-1pm 10:30am-1pm 10:30am 10:30am-1pm
8am-4pm 10:30am-1:30pm 10:30am-1:30pm
9:45am-1:45pm
Lunch served at 11:45am Lunch served at 11:30am Lunch served at 11:30am Senior Fit & Fun
Lunch served at 12pm
Lunch served at 12pm Lunch served at 12pm Lunch served at 12pm
Lunch served at 12pm
Battle Creek
Bedford Manor Dining Center
Billy Castle
(866) 200-8877
M,T,W,Th,F
10:30am-1pm
Lunch served at 11:30am
Battle Creek
Lakeview 890 Territorial Dining Center
Karl Hoard
(866) 200-8877
M,W,F
10:30am-1pm
Lunch served at 11:30am
Battle Creek
Westbrook Place Dining Center
Michelle Dove
(866) 200-8877
M,T,W,Th,F
10:30am-1pm
Lunch served at 11:30am
Marshall
Heritage Commons
Kitty Knoll
(269) 558-6150
T, Th
12-1pm
Tekonsha
Tekonsha Community Hall
Senior Health Partners
(866) 200-8877
T
10am
Senior Fit & Fun
All sites have hot and cold meals. Meals provided by Senior Services. Funding by Calhoun County Senior Services, AAA 3B, USDA and private donations.
JACKSON COUNTY
Grass Lake
Grass Lake Food With Friends
Annie Lavergne
(517) 788-4364
T, Th
10am-3:30pm
Lunch served at 12pm
Jackson
Park Forest
Laurie Mead
(517) 788-4364
M,T,W,Th,F
10:30am-1:30pm
Lunch served at 12pm
Michigan Center
St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church
Laurie Mead
(517) 788-4364
M,W,F
10am-2pm
Lunch served at 12pm
Norvell
Norvell/Township Hall
Gail Jamieson
(517) 788-4364
M,W,F
10:30am-1:30pm
Lunch served at 12pm
To have your senior dining center added or changes to your listing, Call Sherii at (269) 979-1412 ext. 302 or Email: ssherban@wwthayne.com