Being independent at 90 - getting old and getting older

"I realized there’s a difference between getting older and getting old and for most of us, we don’t get to decided when one stops and the other starts."
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Read how a niece spent a day with a 90+ independent woman who knew the difference.
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This is my Aunt Flo ⬆️. She’s 90 and she hates it.

She’s beautiful. That’s her husband John. She was in her early 20's when she got married and began her life. Everything going according to plan. She had a son named Bobby. And then he died of cancer at 10 and she became one of the strongest women I have ever come to know.

She survived it.

kind of...
His bedroom still looks the same. “Bobby’s Room” sign still on the door of the home she continues to live in 60 plus years later.

(Don’t quote me-I haven’t gotten confirmation on the years.)

But, she continued on living. Just the two them, every day for 40 years. Trips. Holidays. New friends. New nieces and nephews.

Until John got alzheimer’s and passed away in a nursing home.

And every day until she fell and broke her hip, she lived alone. Alone for 20 years.

Now she lives unhappily with a Slovak women who cares for her; cooks her meals, walks her to the bathroom, helps her dress. She absolutely hates it and I don’t blame her.

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Aunt Flo was the definition of an “Independent Woman” before Destiny’s Child’s hit single came out and people started defining themselves by what they owned.

She was a Survivor of personal hardship. She was an equal partner in her marriage and lived with a mind and body of her own. She is exceptional in a way I can’t quite put my finger on. You just feel it when you’re near her.

You automatically feel her strength. She has this grit about her, that sets her apart from the “sweet Grandma” type. Maybe it’s because she’s never had the chance — but that’s why I like her.

She’s still soft. A kiss on the cheek and a sweet hand squeeze. Letting you know, “We’ll chat later”.

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A few weeks ago she called me up.
She couldn’t hear me when I answered.

“Hold on hun I need to take out this stupid hearing aid. I get static when I’m on the phone. Stupid thing. What’s the point of this — I don’t know.”

She needed someone to “babysit” her while her nurse had a night off. I could hear the shame in her voice.

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Selfish me. I didn’t want to “waste” a weekend away, but I couldn’t say no to Aunt Flo. She needed me. I never thought she needed anyone…

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I recently celebrated a birthday. Nothing fancy. I got dressed up. We had a nice dinner and champagne. And then we laid on the couch with more champagne and pizza and talked all night about the rest of our lives and being scared and excited and optimistic and hungry all at the same time. It was a really nice day, but the one take away;

I was looking forward to getting older. To the rest of my life. To my future.

But after spending 24 hours taking care of someone who has lived for 90 years,

I realized there’s a difference between getting older and getting old and for most of us, we don’t get to decided when one stops and the other starts.

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She really really tried to avoid asking me for things. She would try to start dinner and take everything out of the fridge and then would have to stop and take a small nap. Just 20 minutes is all she needs. She woke up with a new attitude, ready to take on the challenge. And every time she started, she got defeated: by exhaustion, by dizziness, by her bouts of pessimism — knowing that this is what the rest of her life is going to be like. It weakens her. And it weakened me too.

Every time she needed help, she would say to me:

“Brittany, I’m usually not this weak, but for some reason I just can’t seem to do it today. Tomorrow will be a better day. I just have to do my exercises. Tomorrow will be better, but can you help you just this once?”

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She still enjoys her scratch offs, her Mets, e-mails, eggs & onions, and making her OWN cup of tea.

She will die before she lets go of her independence. I am sure of that. When she no longer enjoys watching those cute young pitchers, and winning $2.

And honestly, I am probably going to fight getting old just like Aunt Flo is.

I respect her disdain for help. I respect her fight and I respect her value of a quality life and one there after.

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I am not scared of getting older.
I am scared of getting old.

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Aunt Flo has taught me that it’s okay to hate it. Because that just mean’s the life she lived before now — she loved.

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Copied from:

https://medium.com/the-coffeelicious/this-is-my-aunt-flo-%EF%B8%8F-shes-90-and-she-hates-it-63a36b4534b7#.e892dd19n

Justice TNC Rangarajan alerted me on this meaningful blog post.

Inauguration of Day care Centre for Dementia patients

Inauguration of Day care Centre for Dementia patients

21^st Sep 2016 World Alzheimer's Day

Banjara Hills Hyderabad

 

Yesterday I attended the inauguration of Zeba Bhashirudhin Day Care Center for Healthy Ageing in Banjara Hills.  This is set up as a full fledged Day Care center working Monday to Saturday 10.00 am to 4:00pm. Specially designed for dementia patients but healthy senior citizens volunteering to give company and support are also welcome. The centre is equipped with games, puzzles, gadgets and devices for taking care of AD patients. Books and literature for caregivers are available.  Psychologists, Physiotherapists, trained caregivers are part of the staff. Food and snacks are provided. The centre also has a full fledged Memory clinic capable of assessing whether you are sliding into AD and if necessary refer you to psychiatrists or neurologists, support groups etc all under one roof.

 

Almost everyone who attended the meeting had an opportunity to express their views and share their experiences. Dr Chandrasekar welcomed all. The center was inaugurated by Ansari couple. Dr Modi spoke of Industry – doctor co-operation. He said there are 155 memory clinics in India. Many patients themselves spoke; speeches by caregivers were moving and touching. Sri Mital said that recent studies in UK indicate that spread of AD is in fact seems to be getting arrested.

 

The centre is effectively networking with NIMS, Asha Hospital, Yashoda hospital, pharma companies, Gaman and others. After lunch we were treated to a special interactive presentation on Preventing falls in the elderly. This was highly useful and a copy is shared here  .

Many simple questions were posed by Dr Nanda kishore who gave away small gifts to those who answered.

 

After a long gap I was happy to meet DR Chandrasekar, Dr Sashidharan, Mrs Bala, Miss Saadiya Hurzuk, Dr Amulya Rajan and others. They were glad to recognize and apprecate my inputs of info to ARDSI-HYD chapter Google Group. I was associated with a small group of people including Dr Chandrasekar and Dr Suvarna Alladi almost a decade ago when the local chapter of ARDSI was set up. Since then I am a life member of this Deccan Chapter of ARDSI.

 

We have come a long way. But this is small step in right direction. You might have read elsewhere that a similar dementia care centre has been launched in Chennai under the leadership of Dr VS Natarajan. More centers are needed. Nothing is too much. Let us hope care givers are also taken care of.

 

 

 

Dr P Vyasamoorthy
30 Gruhalakshmi Colony, Secunderabad 500015 Telangana
LL 040-27846631 / Mobile: 9490804278

National Seminar by Hyderabad Federation of Elders - Notes

Following is a gist of the seminar that was attended by a number of people known to sss-global like Mital, PVM, Sobha, Linga Reddy, Mateen, Md Raza, Puli Shyam et al. Supplementing what is given below, I can add that the souvenir contains articles by Dr Balambal, Prof PV Ramamurti, PVM, Sobha, CSR, Singa raja, Mateen Alakananda Banerji, RNM, DR Chelikani Rao etc

You may request a copy from Sri GA Rahim 9948496848 till copies last.

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National Seminar by Hyderabad Federation of Elders

There was a one day seminar on the theme "Role of Elders in building a better nation and Society since ancient times" on 18^th September 2016 in Ravindra Bharati Hyderabad. It was well attended with the hall overcrowded right from the start.

Sri GA Rahim Retired IG of Police, whose brain child this seminar is, welcomed the gathering. He explained how enthusing the youth of the country to cooperate with senior citizens by respecting them, taking elders' advice in improving our society is important need of the day.  Dr P Indira Devi of Rayalaseema University, Kurnool released a souvenir on this occasion. Sri RN Mital traced the history of senior citizens movement in the country and described several unresolved issues we have including lack of financial, social and health security.

Dr Vyasamoorthy spoke on the need to tap into CSR funding to implement projects relating to the elderly, without depending on government grants that are scanty, unreliable, delayed, involving bribing etc. Prof Kaderu Veera Reddy, Former VC of Satavahana University, Karimnagar remained stuck to the theme of the seminar and gave tips to students, teachers and the public, listing activities to promote the welfare of the older persons.

Smt Subbalakshmi spoke on the role of ancient Rishis mentioning dozens of them and hinting on their contributions. Sri Bhoma Reddy, Editor of Voice of Senior Citizens, was all praise for the commitment and energy of Sri GA Rahim and how he has spent sleepless nights planning every minute detail for making this meeting a success. Others in the Queue for delivering talks included: Sri Linga Reddy bahadur, Dr Mrs Sobha Gurajada Perindevi, Mr Sattar Khan, Mr Mohammad Raza.

Several people, including couples who enjoyed long years (more than 50 years of married life), and many contributors to the success of the event including speakers were honored. The participants  were from different walks of life like senior citizens, academics, writers / journalists and youth.

There was a very interesting (but out of focus of the main theme) on The Nizam, a great personality, full of details which you will get to know only through serious research. 

The souvenir contains 52 useful articles, majority on the theme. Dispersed with several advertisements indicating strong support for organizers, the souvenir is veritable collection of sensitive issues of senior citizens. Articles are in English, Telugu and one in Hindi also. I saw two poems by school kids! 

The seminar is the third annual edition. I wish it reaches at least a decennial in years to come.

Dr P Vyasamoorthy
30 Gruhalakshmi Colony, Secunderabad 500015 Telangana
LL 040-27846631 / Mobile: 9490804278

Advertisements in Newspaper websites

Advertisements in Newspaper websites

Of late many Indian newspaper websites are inserting as many as 8 advertisements on a single screen. The text or the matter you need to read is so badly hidden that even part of the header (title of the story) is hidden. If you install an Adblocker they detect and ask you to remove the Adblocker software. I refuse to visit websites that impolitely threaten me to do that. The worst offenders are The New Indian Express ad Times of India.

Advertisements are a great nuisance and annoyance to the reader. Some advertisements hijack you to move to their site even if you are just hovering around (not clicking) the AD area. Some play video with noise without any concern for what you are doing. That offending video AD may be somewhere, not easily locatable on the page.

In the case of Ads placed by Google, you are asked, when you try to close it, several questions like:

·         Is the AD repetitive,   

·         Is it irrelevant?           

·         Have you seen it earlier?       

·         Is the AD blocking text you want to read etc

However, if you have to answer these queries again and again for closing each AD you will get irritated and the concerned AD may not be from Google after all. Whatever Google ‘learns’ from your response is specific to the AD, its placement on THAT page / screen, to you as a reader etc.

How do you tackle this AD menace? Here are a few tips:

1.      Go to the epaper of the same newspaper. The link from where you came to know about a specific story will give you clues as how to reach the right date, city, page etc. You may use the Search facility also within the epaper. At least, as now, they are not inserting Ads in epapers.  

2.      You are interested in reading the news and not really from THAT stupid paper that is

insisting on serving Ads. SO go to some other newspaper and get the contents.

3.      If you are disturbed by unwanted sound from an offending video AD then look for a small speaker icon in the tab for that window at the top row and click it to muffle it.

4.      Go to one of the several news aggregator sites like scroll or samachar or sify and read the gist over there.

5.      If you can wait and get hold of a paper copy with your neighbors, try that route

6.       I subscribe (pay annual subscription) to The Hindu, TOI, Deccan Chronicle and Has India. On print (hard) copy, I have the option of skipping any number of Ads. Nobody can force me read the AD that I don’t want to waste my time. Why treat me differently when I go the website?

7.      If all these tricks fail, just leave it. What the heck if you don’t read it?

Please share with others tricks / tips you be using to fight these AD guys.

Addendum to the above - 26th Sep 2016

You may install readability.com extension in your browser. This strips all advertisements and gives a clean copy. In the case of TOI, the trick is to go to the TOI URL and click on readbility icon before the ADBLOCKER WARNING pops up. 

How to apply for Old Age Pension under IGNOAPS

14 Months: That’s How Long Elders In This Gujarat Village Had To Wait For Pension

Posted on September 5, 2016 in Politics at Play

   

By Yogendra Katewa:

India is a welfare state and it is the Indian government’s responsibility to ensure the accessibility and entitlements of welfare schemes to its citizens. The vulnerable sections of society such as elderly citizens, destitutes, persons with disability, widows, orphans etc. are the most neglected and subjugated by the society. Similar case of subjugation and neglect can be found in all the 59 villages under 17 gram panchayats of newly formed taluka Poshina in Sabarkantha district in Gujarat.

In social security schemes like the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme, there is a provision to provide appropriate pension to the eligible individuals. However, the pension has been provided under theNational Social Assistance Programme which came into effect from August 15, 1995, for fulfilling the conditions of Article 41 of the Indian Constitution. Article 41 directs the state to ensure that everyone has the right to work, right to education and the right to social assistance. The entitled amount under OAP scheme varies as per the guidelines of various state governments. Government of Gujarat provides Rs. 400 per month to citizens from 60-79 years and Rs. 700 for people who are 80 and above.

The guidelines issued by the Government of Gujarat to avail benefits under the Indira Gandhi old age pension are as follows:

1. The applicant must be aged 60 or above.
2. Applicant must belong to the Below Poverty Line score of 0-16 (Priority index categorised by the government of Gujarat for vulnerable households)
3. Applicant must be a citizen of India.

To begin the process of availing the benefit, the applicant has to fill an application form. The application along with the supporting documents has to be submitted to the mamlatdar (block revenue) office for getting it sanctioned. The eligible beneficiaries can directly submit the application to sarpanch/talati or the computer operator of a particular gram panchayat. But due to the lack of trust in the gram panchayat and its reluctance in issuing a receipt for the submitted application,  many applicants do not submit the form to the panchayat. Therefore, applicants prefer either submitting the form directly at the taluka office or using alternate mechanisms like village level volunteers or NGOs working in the area.

The supporting documents required for the application to avail the benefits are: –

1. Age certificate issued by the medical officer of PHC or CHC
2. Certificate of BPL score issued by gram panchayat (the applicant must belong to BPL score of 0-16)
3. Photocopy of ration card. (the name of the applicant must be enrolled in the ration card)
4. Voter ID of applicant
5. Photocopy of aadhar card.(added after November, 2015)
6. Photocopy of bank account number. (added after November, 2015)
7. Live certificate of beneficiaries every year after the pension gets sanction.

The major problem which lies in availing these benefits – in addition to the bunch of documents is the lack of awareness about the scheme. Many of the potential beneficiaries don’t know the eligibility criteria, types of supporting documents required, responsible authority to get these supporting documents from and the authorised department for the submission of application.

As per the norms of the Government of Gujarat, many eligible elderly citizens of Poshina taluka under Sabarkantha district had submitted the applications of IGNOAPS to respective authorities/department during 2014-2015. The applicants were assisted in various ways like information dissemination, providing assistance in document collection, submission of applications etc., by the volunteers from various hamlets/villages, co-workers of various Non-Governmental Organizations working in the area.

By the end of the year 2015, more than 750 applications of OAP from entire Poshina taluka were in the sanctioned list (out of 750 around 450 were sanctioned in the year 2015) disclosed by the taluka authorities. After many consultations, meetings and continuous follow up with the mamlatdar and its administration, it took 3 months for Poshina taluka authorities to discover and finalise the list of these 750 beneficiaries (up to December, 2015). According to the officials, the delay was due to the lack of staff in a newly bifurcated Poshinataluka and work load on the limited staff of Khedbrahma taluka.

It was found during various community meetings and also reported by the citizen leaders (community leaders) in the month of July, 2015, that people are not getting the entitled benefit of OAP since April, 2015. The mistrust and allegations of corruption were aired within the community. The issue was then taken to the office of themamlatdar frequently. Yet, what surfaced in the office was the issue of funds. The issue was then taken up to the higher authorities and the fund of Rs.1.6 million was released in the month of November, 2015.

The problem was because the amount was not transferred. Since its onset, the amount of OAP was distributed through the Indian post, after they receive the money from the taluka authorities. As Jan-Dhan Yojana was launched with a lot of enthusiasm by the government authorities, it resulted in a similar response from the citizens of India leading to a record number of bank accounts being opened and linked with the financial sector. Influenced by the magical figures, the taluka authorities proposed to directly transfer the amount into the beneficiary’s bank account by linking it with the aadhar number, leading to decrease in workload and dependency on the other department for the disbursement of the fund. But none of the beneficiaries, except a few, had provided the bank account number and aadhar card number while submitting the application. The attempt was also made so that the entitled amount could be directly transferred by the respective district department into the account of the beneficiaries, so that a similar situation of non-payment doesn’t arise.

The task of collection of these documents was assigned to the respective talukas and PDS dealers of the villages/panchayats. My team also took the responsibility to assist the taluka authorities in this process. The list was shared during the community level meetings, citizen leader meetings and household visits in the villages. By end of the March, 2016 the mamlatdar office received around 500 account numbers and aadhar card numbers of the beneficiaries. But due to the lack of account number and aadhar number of all the beneficiaries, the payment couldn’t be made through bank and the mamlatdar office decided to make the payment through the money order facility of the Indian post. The check of entitled amount was forwarded to the block post office authorities for payment along with the list of beneficiaries in the month of April, 2016.

After waiting for a month, the issue of non-payment of the pension was again taken to the mamlatdar. In response, the mamlatdar office wrote a show cause letter to the post office department, seeking reason for non-payment of the amount. A unique response was received from the post office department in May, 2016 . They stated the hurdle in the payment was due to Gujarati, the language in which the list was submitted to the post office department. They needed the list in “English”. The mamlatdar office again provided the translated list of the beneficiaries to respective post office authorities.

Finally, in the second week of June, 2016 a ray of smile started spreading on the faces of people along with the first rain of monsoon in Poshina taluka. The citizen leaders and other stakeholders took respite as the community members were coursing them for collecting their documents. Some of the pensioners received the sum of Rs. 4800 as pension for the past one year. One of the citizen leader said, “The received amount is huge and has been credited at a very critical time. People now don’t have money to buy cotton seeds and other agricultural inputs, but at least they don’t have to mortgage their belongings for agricultural inputs.”

Though the amount entitled for a beneficiary under the old age pension is meagre to meet the expenses of a whole family, it plays a very important and supporting role in the living and nutritional status of a vulnerable family. The amount, if timely provided, could help in getting the entitled ration of a household with an average size of 10 members under NFSA, 2013 (under NFSA a person is entitled to 4.250 kg wheat at only Rs.2/kg, 750 kg rice at Rs.3/kg, 350 kg sugar at Rs.13.5/kg and kerosene up to 8 litres as per defined price). The further positive benefits will be in their living conditions leading to a respectful and dignified life.

Such steps taken by state authorities towards direct transfer of benefits into the beneficiary’s account will ensure timely access to the pension. The defunct account opened during Jan Dhan Yojana will be utilised by the people and it can lead to a very healthy habit of poor people saving their money.

Source: http://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2016/09/indira-gandhi-national-old-age-pension/

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Fwd: Height of ADs covering entire screen

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See this page from

​New Indian Express​

 website.

Seven to eight ADs obliterate almost all website except for title.

Your chances of clicking an advt is more than reading anything at all.

I have purposely given image in full size.

Close 8 ADs to read quarter of the screen? ridiculous, indeed.

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For just Rupee One, hope to die during train Accident and pass on Rs 10 Lakhs to kith & kin

Accident Insurance for train travel through IRCTC

IRCTC is acting as an agent for Death / Accident Insurance for Train Travel.
Just opt to pay Rs one per traveller while booking online tickets.  Valid for the journey duration.
including entraining and detraining.

Insurance benefits are tabled below:

Applicable to all passengers under one PNR. Tickets must be booked as e-ticket. You must have opted for travel accident insurance. Premium of Rs one (92 paise actually) is applicable for all classes of travel.Persons in hazardous professions (like firefighters sportsmen) including Pop musicians are excluded. Untoward incidents (Dacoity, terrorist attacks etc) are included. see what death means:

So even if you die within one year of accident, but directly caused by accident you can stake a claim. I mean your nominees can get the money. Do you think they they (?) will finish you for getting the claim amount who knows - kith & king + hospital staff  + insurance staff may work together to benefit from your death. Be useful Die in train accident after duly insuring yourself just for Rs 1/-

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For complete details see: http://contents.irctc.co.in/en/InsuranceTermCondition.pdf

AISCCON delegation on MWPSCA to MOSJE 31st August 2016

Aisccon delegation - National Consultation on MWPSCA with MOSJE by Padmanabha Vyasamoorthy on Scribd