Last week I discussed one option for thousand older Americans who want to stay in their homes, and are “house” rich but income poor: a reverse mortgage. But income may not be the only reason someone feels they can no longer live independently in their own home.
Another reason may be the inability to handle all the necessary daily living activities and personal care needs. But fortunately there are many resources available including in-home care agencies such as Hearts of Gold Caregivers who have trained staff to provide assistance to meet your individual needs. Or you can personally hire a private care giver who is generally less expensive than in home agencies. But you should be aware, in many cases when you hire someone, you are responsible for paying unemployment taxes. (For more information, contact The Dalles Employment Department at (541) 296-5435.)
You can learn more about personal care services at this month’s Passport to Happiness Event on Wednesday October 16th starting at 3:00 PM at the Center.
Whether we are ready or not, we live in a digital age where information is at your fingertips – or at least at your nearest computer, tablet or smartphone. And medicine is no exception. (When is the last time you saw a paper patient chart when visiting your medical provider?) But this transition to digital records has also given hospitals the ability to give you more control over your health and wellness by making your medical records available on line: your doctor appointments, test results, immunization records and your prescribed medications. To access your MCMC medical records online, go to your provider’s office and they will get you set up in the MCMC system and give you your Activation Code which you can use to activate your account online at myMCMC.
Or you can attend the Tuesday Lecture on October 22nd in the basement of the Center. Alison Adams and Susan Pincock from MCMC will explain the benefits of myMCMC as well as assist you in setting up your own Activation Code.
Once again it is that time for the Center’s Saturday Breakfast – and once again sponsored by Wasco County’s own county treasurer Chad Krause. This month the menu includes hotcakes with blueberries, scrambled eggs and your choice of bacon or sausage as well as fruit and your favorite morning beverage – all for only $5.00 per person. And as Jack always said, “Breakfast always tastes better when someone else cooks it!”
Sometimes it seems like the whole world is moving backwards. So in the spirit of the times, see how well you can cope by reading this week’s music announcement.
Four for $3.00 or leg per $1.00 is donation suggested the and PM 7:00 at starts music, PM 6:00 at open doors The .arms your in partner your with music the to moving than there is exercise better what And .to dance and listen to classics western country playing be will “Times Good the For” ,Center the at night Tuesday Next
The 1958 horror/science fiction movie classic that starred Steve McQueen and depicted a growing amoeba-like alien from outer space that terrorized the small community was “The Blob”. (And the winner of a free breakfast on October 19th is Don McAllister.)
You may think of the “Remember When” questions as a fun and easy – or sometimes challenging – trivia contest or even at test of your long term memory (which I hope is operating on all eight cylinders – or at least seven!). But I hope it is more: reminding you of events or experiences hidden away in your vast reservoir of memories: the screaming fans at the 1965 Beatles concert in Portland, the pain of Merthiolate when your mother painted your scrapes orange after one of your falls, or the sound of a model electric train whistling through tunnels and over bridges on a piece of old plywood set up in the garage.
That last memory is the subject for this week’s “Remember When” question. What was the name of the brand of O-gauge model trains which in the 1950’s outsold its closest competitor American Flyer nearly 2:1 until the HO scale model trains became popular in 1956? E-mail your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, call 541-296-4788 or mail it with a paper train set, made out of heavy cardstock, sold in 1943 (by the same company) when the US government restricted the use of various materials during WWII.
Well, it has been another week trying to keep my mouth shut and my eyes open. Until we meet again, it was the wise cowboy who said “When your head is in the bear’s mouth, it is not the time to be smacking him on the nose”.
