Carl & Miriam, I visit many clients in assistive living and for the most part
they are being paid for by adult children. A scenario common to me as I had to
pay for my late parents care as well. What will happen when the adult children
get old I don't know. Hopefully the adult children will have some children of
their own with resources of their own. Nina and I have already done the math,
she will have to work until she is 72 and I will have to work until I am 78 to
take home even the base pension. I don't expect that to go far and since we
work for the State of Massachusetts we can never collect social security, BTW
MA is only one of six states that require state employees to give up their SS.
We have both read up extensively on euthanasia as there will be time when we
cannot work and won't have medical coverage or Medicare.
Frank
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Wednesday, January 24, 2018 12:10 PM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: Moving
Miriam,
Cathy and I visit folks in some very fine retirement and assisted living
apartments. Both Cathy and I have decent government pensions, along with our
social security checks. We could afford to live in some of the less expensive
buildings...as long as we still worked!
Probably by selling our house and ten acres, as well as our large lot at Kala
Point, we could supplement our income enough to spend *My last years, but Cathy
is a mere 65, and when I died and my income were dropped, she would need to
look at low income living. Of course I plan to live to be at least 100, which
means Cathy will be a mere 83, and probably our reserve money would have run
out. Of course if I don't feel any better than I feel today, 100 looks to be a
far too ambitious goal. I think we have picked up a Flu Bug. Last Friday we
visited a couple of clients in one of those Up Scale Retirement Apartments, and
as soon as we entered two young ladies came rushing out from behind the
counter, telling us we might not want to see anyone, since the building was
riddled with Flu Bugs. The other lady sprayed our hands with some bug killer,
but seemed confused when I asked if they provided masks. But we've seen in
past years during Flu Season that when the residents dine together, all it
takes is one person hacking away as they touch everything around them, and Lo
and Behold, the entire place becomes an infirmary.
And it seems that no matter which strains of Flu the vaccination protects
against, it's not the one that erupts among the elderly residents.
Actually, while being blind does have an impact on social activities in such
residents, the real curse is Aging. Blind or sighted, folks creep slower and
slower about the building. They get worn out just walking to the dining room.
And social activities interfere with their nap time.
We began several support groups over the past 23 years, but only one still
functions. We began book clubs, where anyone who wanted to be read to could
join once or twice a week and listen to a few chapters of a Talking Book. The
list goes on, but vision loss was not the final clincher. It was age, every
time. The first time a 90 year old client said, "Entertainment? What do I do?
Well, I like to sit here and remember!" I used to chuckle about that. I
remember saying, "Yes, but don't you want some new stuff to be able to
remember?" She didn't respond. We decided that she could meet new residents
with a gift basket that the building presented folks, and chat with them and
make them feel welcome. She liked the idea, and I understand that she actually
did it...twice. After the second new resident had been royally welcomed, she
told the activity director that she was just too worn out to do it anymore.
Well, it's 9:00 A.M. and I think I need to reschedule a couple of clients...and
then go back to bed.
Carl Jarvis
On 1/24/18, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Carl, Thanks. I'm still here. I may not be disconnected until early
Friday morning but don't know when or if the computer will ever be the same
again.
Nothing about my life will be the same again, however. This is, shall
we say, the financially disadvantaged old blind woman's version of
assisted living. Had I been a government employee for 30 or more years
with an old fashioned pension and social security, maybe I'd be living
at the lovely life care community out east or at a plushy assisted
living facility. Of course, being blind, I'm not sure I'd ever have
been easily socially integrated into that social milieu. The older
folks in my apartment building have never been able to integrate me
into their social interaction. At 80 years of age, I'm here to tell
all those NFB types that blindness is more than an inconvenience. It
has profound affects on every part of life at every age.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Wednesday, January 24, 2018 10:12 AM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: Moving
Good morning Miriam. I'm tucking my best thoughts inside your
suitcase just to make certain your transition is a smooth one. I
don't know about you, but I get really grumpy when my normal routine
is disrupted. But it sounded from some of your past posts that change was
necessary.
Still, any time you are away from the list, you will be missed. But
don't rush to get back on, since the world will still be going to Hell
in a Hand basket with or without you being on Blind Democracy.
Anyway, see you on the other side...the other side of your move, that is.
Carl Jarvis
On 1/24/18, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I'm moving to a new address on Friday. I'm not sure when I'm going
off list and when I'll be back on again, but I thought I'd let all of
you know this, before I forget to do so in the rush of last minute
details and anxiety.
Miriam
