Time for some humour

A blonde guy goes to the big football game, he has great seats on the 50-yard line, 8 rows up, perfect. Just before kickoff, he hears someone behind him yelling, "Arnold, we're up here, Arnold!" He turns around and misses the kickoff! A short while later, just as the quarterback throws a long bomb, the same guy starts yelling, "Hey Arnold, we're up here, Arnold!!" Again, he turns around and again he misses the play This goes on for every big play. He hears the guy shouting, "Hey Arnold, look up here!" He turns around and misses the play. Finally, fuming mad, he turns around, pulls out his binoculars and scans the crowd for the guy doing all the yelling. He eventually spots him, after missing yet another big play. He runs up the stands, nearly to the top of the stadium. Pulls the guy out into the aisle, picks him up by the lapels and shouts, "Shut-up, my name isn't Arnold!!"

Do "good things really come to those who wait"?? I personally suspect they are just the leftovers from the people who got there first.

What makes 100%? What does it mean to give more than 100%? Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving more than 100%?

We have all been to those meetings where someone wants you to give more than 100%. How about achieving 103%?

Well, here's a little mathematical formula that might help you answer these questions:

If the letters of the alphabet A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z were represented as numbers: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 2122 23 24 25 26 then:

H - A - R - D - - W - O - R - K

would be:

8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%

and,

K - N - O - W - L - E - D - G - E

11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5 = 96%

but,

A - T - T - I - T - U - D - E

1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100%

however - -

B - U - L - L - S - H - I - T

2+21+12+12+19+8+9+20 = 103%

and, look how far ass kissing will take you:

A - S - S - K - I - S - S - I - N - G

1+19+19+11+9+19+19+9+14+7 = 118%.

So, one can then conclude with mathematical certainty that: While, hard work and knowledge will get you close, and, attitude will get you there, it's Bullshit & Ass Kissing that will put you over the top.

It was rush hour, and when the bus finally arrived, it was packed. I tried to force my way on, but no one would budge, although there was ample room in the back. Then the bus driver took over. "Excuse me, Ladies and Gentlemen," he shouted. "Will all the beautiful, smart people please move to the back of the bus, and all the ugly stupid people stay upfront?" Hey, it worked!!....there was plenty of room for me upfront... :o)

Hard work pays off in the future, laziness pays off now.

I've been told that your memory is the first thing to go as you grow older. Can anyone remember what they said was after that?

Waiting

My son’s girlfriend had COVID, she was extremely sick for a few days and after six days decided to go get the test for COVID, it was positive. She is doing well now, but she was unwell for about two weeks. Once she became ill she followed the rules and self-isolated, but since my son had been with her the days before she started feeling ill, he decided to go for a test himself. He tested negative. Stress is relative, but my wife and I were nervous and stressed out while we were waiting for the results.

Here is what happened when my son's girlfriend was told she had a positive reaction. She had prepared a list of all the places she had been in the 10 days prior to getting sick but the contract tracer told her that they weren’t interested so no contact tracing was done, which we thought was strange.

My daughter who lives in Victoria State Australia said that in her state, the contract tracers took all the details and called all the people and places a person who tested positive had been. The person is told to self-isolate and they are monitored by the health authority and the police. All the places a person with COVID has visited are closed for a minimum of 3 days for full Covid clean. And every person who was there is contacted and told to self-isolated until they get a negative result.

The Health authority that I live in is the same as my son’s girlfriend and it has had three times as many cases of COVID as the other large health region in our Province. I believe that something is wrong with how they are doing their job. The lack of interest in contract tracing by the authorities in my son’s girlfriends’ case is but one example. In our Province, there was an order that limited the number of care-homes workers could work in, and it was evidently implemented throughout the Province but in my health region, it was rolled out very slowly. I understand the order was given in June, but our health authority has just recently made sure it has been implemented in all the care-homes in its jurisdiction. An awfully slow response which may have resulted in more deaths than necessary.

The response to COVID is unique to every jurisdiction as every area is fighting it sown Pandemic, but I am of the opinion that the people in charge in my health authority are not doing a very good job at this time of writing, but I am hopeful that their response will improve before more people die unnecessarily.

Senior Centers

As we move into 2021 we need to focus on the re-opening of our senior centers and open up recreational opportunities for our senior population for a number of reasons. Some of which are below:

A large body of literature shows that social participation is associated with better mental and physical health. The following provides a snapshot of some research findings:

For every 1-point decrease on a social activity scale, there was a 33% more rapid rate of decline in motor function (e.g., grip strength, muscle strength) within an average of five years (Buchman et al., 2009)

The risk of developing a disability in activities of daily living decreased by 43% over an average of 5 years for each additional social activity engaged in; the risk of mobility disability decreased by 31% (James et al., 2011)

Among older adults with depression, those who were highly socially active were over 2.5 times more likely to have improvements in their depressive symptoms 2 years later than those with low social activity (Isaac et al., 2009)

An intervention that combined structured social activity with light- intensity exercise (e.g., card games, croquet) significantly improved older adults’ memory function and sleep (Naylor et al., 2000)

The rate of cognitive decline was reduced by an average of 70% in older adults who were frequently socially active compared to those who were infrequently socially active over an average of 5 years. (James, Wilson, Barnes, & Bennet, 2011)

Older adults who participated on a daily or weekly basis in social activity had a 40% reduced risk of developing dementia compared to those who were not socially engaged (Wang, Karp, Winblad, & Fratiglioni, 2002)

Older women who participated in organizational activities or study circles had half the likelihood of dying within a twelve-year period of time, compared to those who did not participate in these social activities (Agahi & Parker, 2008)

The benefits of senior centres

Research on senior centres demonstrates that participation is associated with social, mental, and physical health benefits. Senior centres promote health by providing health and support services, encouraging active and healthy ageing, and fostering a social environment that is conducive to social participation and well-being. Senior centres are also ideal venues for health promotion interventions, such as fall prevention, influenza vaccines, diabetes management, and so forth.

Key findings from our interviews with older adults from a study called, Social Participation and its Benefits by the Manitoba Centre for Ageing are:

Virtually all participants felt that the activities they engage in almost always or often give them a sense of accomplishment.

80% or more also felt that the activities increased their knowledge, helped them gain self-confidence, and provided an opportunity to try new things.

Many participants thought that the activities provided them with social benefits, allowing them to socially interact, be part of a community, and develop close relationships.

88% of participants indicated that it is almost always or often true that the activities help them stay healthy. Many participants also indicated that the activities contribute to their emotional well-being (90%), and help them to relieve stress (85%).

Opportunities to stay active and socially engaged helped several participants cope with mental illness and addictions.

Senior centres promoted older adult health by providing opportunities for physical activity and access to health information, education, and health services.

Senior centres offered a range of educational opportunities that promoted learning, creativity, and skills development.

Volunteering opportunities enabled older adults to socialize, contribute to their communities, and share their knowledge and skills

Senior Centers are needed 1

As President of our local senior center, I understand that social participation is a central component of the activities and programs we run. Over the last few months, one of the programs I have participated in is an outreach to our older members. In my conversations with these members, they tell me what they miss most is the social component. My counterparts in adjacent communities have different programs and services, we all strive to provide opportunities for social participation and interaction.

Our senior centre like many is designed to promote health and provide a community focal point on ageing by enabling older adults to come together for services and activities that enhance their dignity, support their independence and encourage their involvement in and with the community. We provide services to support older adults including health and social support services, subsidized meals, and information and referrals. In addition, we offer a wide range of programs including fitness, recreation, nutrition, education, and volunteer activities, designed to enhance social participation and promote health and well-being. Our center is different than others in the Tri-Cities area and we all vary in terms of the services and programs that offered, and they range in size, facilities, and program focus. This diversity reflects, in part, a response to the different needs of their members, as well as the size and source of their funding from each community.

There is research (Aday, 2003; Pardasani and Thompson, 2010; Strain, 2001), that suggests older adults who attend senior centres differ from those who do not in that they tend to be: 

•      more likely to be single, widowed or living alone

•      female

•      between the ages of 75-84; participation tends to decline into very old age as the likelihood of frailty and physical limitations increases

•      relatively healthier

The benefits of senior centre participation

Evidence suggests that senior centres promote the health and well-being of older adults through the provision of health and support services, by encouraging active and healthy aging, and by providing a social environment that is conducive to social participation and well-being (Aday, Kehoe & Farney, 2006; Fitzpatrick, McCabe, Gitelson, & Andereck, 2005).

Social benefits

Senior centres protect older adults against the negative health consequences associated with social isolation by providing: 

•       friendships (Aday, Kehoe, & Farney, 2006)

•       social support (Fitzpatrick, Gitelson, Andereck, & Mesbur, 2005)

•       social networks (Ashida and Heaney, 2008)

•       social inclusion (Moody and Phinney, 2012)

Physical health benefits

There is a growing body of research investigating the relationship between senior centre participation and health.

Fitzpatrick, Gitelson, Andereck, and Mesbur (2005) study of participants at 2 senior centres in Ontario, indicated that social support received from friends or staff at the senior centre had a significant positive impact on participants’ perceptions of their physical health.

Mental health benefits

Research on senior centres suggests that participation is also associated with   a variety of mental health benefits.

Choi and McDougall (2007) compared depressive symptoms between homebound older adults and those attending senior centres. The authors found significantly higher rates of depression among homebound older adults compared to older adults who participated in senior centres.

Overall, the research on senior centres and mental health suggests that mental health benefits are related to the social environment and the social support that older adults access through senior centres. By fostering the exchange of social support, senior centres protect older adults against the negative health impacts associated with social isolation.

Senior centres and health promotion

Studies have also evaluated the effectiveness and the impact of health promotion interventions conducted within senior centres.

A senior centre-based nutrition intervention showed the reported consumption of at least seven servings of fruits and vegetables daily increased by 21% (Hendrix et al., 2008).

Krieger et al. (2000) conducted a randomized control trial of a senior centre-based program designed to increase pneumococcal and influenza immunization rates in older adults. The program used an educational mailing and tracking and outreach by volunteers from the senior centre. The intervention significantly increased immunization rates.

In sum, research on health interventions suggests that senior centres can be effective venues for health promotion and prevention programs designed for older adults. Senior centres commonly have members who attend on a regular basis, a volunteer base, and a social environment that is conducive to information sharing and peer support (Krieger et al., 2000). On the other hand, challenges to implementing health promotion and prevention programs include low staffing, lack of facilities or resources, as well as cultural and communication barriers (Baker, Gottschalk, & Bianco, 2007).