In This Issue

We Give Thanks

Take Precautions to Avoid the Flu (Seasonal and H1N1)

When Our Children Ask Us

Annual Appeal Major Donors

Silver Circle Donors - $1000

           Multicultural Home Care, Inc.

Bronze Circle Donors - $500

     Gene and Judy Jacobi

     Foluso Olubanjo

     John Keohane

     Anonymous

     Anonymous

Thank you for your generosity!

Get Healthy: Live Longer

U.S. National Library of Medicine:

For more informations, please contact

Upcoming Events 

Caregiver Connection

First & Third Mondays

Donations have been made to North Shore

In Memory Of

In Honor Of 

Online resources updated for elders and people with disabilities   

MADIL also includes Quick Guides for resources such as:

• A Person to Talk to
• Emergency Information
• Employment
• Energy
• Finances
• Food and Nutrition
• Health
• Help for People Living at Home
• Housing and Related Services
• State Agencies
• Transportation

A Publication of North Shore Elder Services
Life. Made Easier.  

December 2009

       Season's Greetings!

 Home for the   Holidays 

Our promise, even during tough times

Take Precautions to Avoid the Flu (Seasonal and H1N1)

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread this way.
• If you are sick with flu-like symptoms, stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone (without the use of fever-reducing medicine) except to get medical care or for other necessities.
• While sick, limit contact with others as much as possible to keep from infecting them.
  
  Take time to get a flu vaccine:
  CDC (US Center for Disease Control) recommends a yearly seasonal flu vaccine as the first and most important step in protecting against seasonal influenza.
  
  Who should get the H1N1 vaccine?
  Persons aged 25 through 64 years who have medical conditions associated with a higher risk of influenza complications and those who are caretakers for infants and younger people at risk. Once providers meet the demand for vaccine among persons in initial target groups, vaccination is recommended for all persons 25 through 64 years of age. Current studies indicate that the risk for infection among persons age 65 or older is less than the risk for younger age groups. However, once vaccine demand among younger age groups has been met, programs and providers should offer vaccination to people 65 or older.
  
  Can seasonal influenza vaccine and 2009 H1N1 vaccine be given at the same visit?
  Existing recommendations are that these vaccines can be administered at any time before, after, or at the same visit as each other.
  
  Flu-like symptoms include:
  Fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, chills, body aches, headache and fatigue. Some people may also have vomiting & diarrhea.
  
  For more information, visit www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/ or www.flu.gov or call 800-CDC-INFO.

Because I said so...
by Lina Rehal - NSES Volunteer

Our mothers told us things that have been forever etched in our minds. Remember hearing "Because I said so"? That was her stock answer; the one she used when she ran out of explanations to our nagging questions. It didn't need clarifying. The statement was final. It was all the reason she needed. You knew the conversation was over when you heard that one. "Wait till your father comes home." That classic reply meant you had gone too far. She could no longer deal with your behavior. You were in big trouble when she rolled that one out.
 
"Don't play ball in the house." That rule applied rain or shine. It meant no baseball, football, tennis, golf or any other kind of ball. However, ping-pong was permitted inside if you had a basement or rumpus room with the appropriate equipment set up.
 
"Don't put that in your mouth; you don't know where it's been." Did that statement imply that if we knew where it had been, it would have been all right?
 
"What will the neighbors think?" For some reason, the opinions of their neighbors were important. Do you suppose the people next door worried about what we thought of them too?
 
How many times were you told "Always wear clean underwear in case you get in a car accident"? Then there's the infamous question, "If your brother jumped off a bridge, would you?" These last two will go on for many generations to come.
 
"Don't use that tone with me." It was fine to use that particular tone with others, just not her. "Look at me when I'm talking to you." Using the tone and then looking away infuriated them. It was bad enough that we dared to do one, but the two together suggested indifference.
 
Here's a scary one. "There's enough dirt in those ears to grow potatoes." Could that have been possible?
 
"If you break your leg, don't come running to me." That was always one of my personal favorites. It was right up there with, "Don't cross your eyes, they'll stay that way." I wasn't in the habit of crossing my eyes. The thought alone horrified me.
 
Do you ever wonder where such powerful phrases came from and why they repeated them so often? Did you use any of them with your own children? Do you notice that a lot of them start with the word don't? The answers are simple. They got them from their mothers and believed every word. Our mothers had children to raise, houses to clean, meals to cook, laundry to wash and husbands who expected supper on the table when they got home. They didn't have time for logical explanations, nonsense or time out.
 
We laugh at how ridiculous some of these things sounded. "Stop crying or I'll give you something to cry about." That made us think and often shut us up, even if only temporarily. Who knew what she had planned? I didn't want to know.
 
These words may sound silly to us now, but when you think about it, they made sense and many of them are true. Money doesn't grow on trees. You really can poke someone's eye out by waving a sharp object in the air. And, you can get hurt running with scissors.