Despite being “so done” with living our lives around the COVID-19 virus, the severity of the current rate of infection demands our attention…and consideration. We have many months of coping and learning under our belts. We’ve become informed about the scientific facts, transmission method, a…
It is almost like midnight at 4:00 pm these days. Even if the seconds of daylight increase after the solstice on December 21, the darkness is upon us, NOW. In the darkness, I’m looking for the light: the decorated houses with window lights that feel like Colonial Williamsburg, the Chevy Ch…
This will be a holiday season like no other, writes Joanne MacInnis, RN and president of Danvers-based Aberdeen Home Care, Inc. Here are her tips for getting through, safely.
We’ve been living under a weighted blanket of worry and anxiety for eight months.
There’s already a flurry of conversation about how we’ll handle our end-of-year Holidays.
Is your loved one's neighborhood still participating in Halloween, even if in a limited capacity? Consider putting a basket of candy outside in the driveway, not necessarily right next to the door. Although this may be a "light" trick or treat year, it's a good idea to have a family member…
“Head spinning off neck” is sometimes my response to the proverbial “how are you doing?” Although my issues may not be your challenge, you have your own, writes Joanne McInnis.
As Dorothy said in the “merry old land of OZ,” which was as different from Kansas as it could be, she was in a new world. We are in that new world too. School and Testing and Vaccines, OH MY.
It is indeed. Consider just these four big-ticket topics: COVID, Economy, School, Politics, and my head is spinning. I imagine yours is too. The heat setting on our cooktop of coping seems to be on “hard boil.”
Resiliency. The new buzz word. Every crisis has one; we've had many during COVID. The "R" word has many meanings, depending on your perspective.
Do we remember what a world not dominated by a pandemic feels like? I often find myself saying to colleagues in the healthcare field, "Remember when we thought healthcare was stressful before COVID?" And we either roll our eyes, let out a huge groan, or respond with a long pause of silence.
Our culture has brought immediate gratification to a new, perhaps unhealthy, level, but the pandemic screeched all of that to a halt, and we have no choice but to slow down. Use this time to consider who you are, what makes you tick, what you value, and how you cope. It might serve you well …
A question we are all thinking about, even if we are not putting it into words. Is a vaccine the COVID-19 "Holy Grail?" Will it bring safety and normalcy back to our lives? Who is working on it? How many are in trials? Is it safe? Will it give me the virus? Can everyone get vaccinated…
Our "normal" goal is usually to be in balance, and even then, without a pandemic or social and political unrest, it's a challenge. The whole work/family ratio, "on and off-time," and as we all have become so intimately acquainted with these past months, the blur of life's factions, blended …
There has been a prevailing sense of "powerlessness" these past months. We were all indoors, working from home, no school, no socialization, yet the numbers went up and up. As our communities "reopen:" remember the power we do have. Our intentional interventions are what is bringing cases an…
We've all had experiences of being "up to our eyeballs," "underwater," or "sick to death" of a number of things. Most of us have good endurance…for a time. We are New Englanders, after all. We know that the blizzards come, the power goes out, and we have no milk. School gets canceled. I…
The scientists and medical experts certainly have amassed a vast amount of knowledge of COVID-19, since January 11th, when the first Coronavirus patient in Wuhan China succumbed to the illness. That is just over three months ago. From an unknown to a household word, inside of 3 months. Staggering.
North Shore city and towns have implemented "masks in stores" policies, and some have asked for "masks in public places." We see a wide variety of medical, surgical, procedure, and cloth masks, bandanas, and sundry face coverings being used to protect both wearer and neighbor—gloves of green…
The trajectory of COVID-19 is clearly climbing toward the peak of infection, and when it gets there is unknown. By now, we are deeply engulfed in the daily numbers, the news, and the experts. We are hopefully doing our part by not “carrying the virus” or catching it, by staying at home, and …
In light of the recent outbreak and constant media coverage of Coronavirus (COVID-19), I want to inform you of some widely accepted practices and tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), and Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DP…
You may be worried that before you have had the "right moment" to discuss it with them, word will travel, letting the cat out of the bag. There are many downsides to that happening. One of which is "why didn't you tell me right away," and also the passage of misinformation. So instead of sha…
There’s a lot set to happen with the Council on Aging (COA) in the coming weeks. Check them out here, and for further information on any of these great trips or to reserve your seat on the van, please call the COA office at (978) 526-7500.
Gardening, knitting, and walking are back as meditative activities, as is snuggling with the dog or cat. Of course! Our elders knew how these activities were meaningful — simple pleasures, available 365 days a year, and without a steep price tag.
Our parents' ability to live independently, without help, is changing. It used to be that between the two of them, they had everything pretty well covered. However, Dad's vision has taken a turn.
On Wednesday, February 5, the Manchester Council on Aging was invited by Cape Ann Seniors on the Go to participate in their Winter Bowling Event at Cape Ann Lanes. The purpose was to bring seniors from Cape Ann together. Seniors from Gloucester, Rockport, Manchester and Essex came for some …
Joint replacement surgery is becoming more and more common and is occurring and younger ages. It is to your advantage to think through how you can approach surgery for the best possible recovery and outcome. Start by considering these four major categories as you prepare for upcoming surgery…
We mere mortals, from the Latin word “mortalis,” meaning “of life or living, ending in death.” Hmmm. If the oldest person living on the planet is 117 years old, even if we get to 90, we know what happens eventually. Why don’t we focus on what happens between now and then?
My friend's Dad is super organized…with issues that he feels comfortable with. He's excellent at banking, manages the insurance for the house and cars, and pays the bills with Swiss watch precision. When Mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer, he assured the family that he had "everything u…
If you aren’t in this situation, you know people who are. The kids are off to college, or beyond, and you’ve had the freedom that you haven’t had in decades, maybe you are newly retired, and now you can have “YOU” time.
We had every intention of bringing him home for Thanksgiving, but he had a bad cold, and the nursing home advised against it. After we finished our meal, we packed up his dinner, and the whole crew headed over for a visit. He seemed fine, but we all left with a lump in our throats. Will we b…
Let there be Peace on Earth… and let it begin where? With ME? Are you serious? It's the hap-happiest time of the year…and Peace on Earth, but NOT for everyone. And that's OK, writes Joanne McGinnis.
You want to have the "attitude of gratitude," but right now… it's just not working out that way. Good news: it doesn't have to every minute of every day. It's not an all-or-nothing proposition. It's not: either/or — thankfully, it's both/and.
Mom was all about the holidays. She always started her extensive planning on the first day under 50 degrees. Now, this was back in the day before Thanksgiving hit the stores before the Fourth of July. She was all about festivity, menu, getting the family together. The more, the merrier. The …
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