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About The Columbia press. (Astoria, Or.) 1949-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 6, 2020)
The Columbia Press November 6, 2020 7 How about an introduction to lampreys? Senior Moments with Emma Edwards Should we put others first? I believe my best quality, as well as my biggest flaw, is try- ing to put others first. I sometimes wonder if that’s a senior thing or may- be a mother or grandmother thing? Do men have this co- nundrum? In putting others first, are we unknowingly guilty of self-aggrandizing? I truly think it’s more a female trait. Perhaps it’s age-related. I often think I need to please family and friends. And maybe it’s all in my head. My kids tease me that I like to be waited on. Being waited on makes me feel good but it does the same for them, too. There again, women espe- cially often feel the need to say yes in an attempt to put others first! Is it being self- ish if it’s an attempt to elicit praise from others? Admit- tedly, it seems to soothe us and make us feel good when seniors are otherwise apt to lament that “nobody needs us.” From childhood on up, many of us are taught the ac- ronym J.O.Y. which stands for Jesus, Others and You. For me, the Jesus part is a given and I usually try to put him first. The challenge is in putting others ahead of your- self. Sometimes, people offer me opportunities with choices. I know they’re simply giving me options and opportuni- ties. I can say no if I choose to not go somewhere or not do something. So, why do I an- alyze or frustrate myself over my many decisions? It’s been said that if we don’t look after or take care of ourselves, no one else will. I suspect the answer to all of this pondering is that we do need to put ourselves first sometimes. However, in these golden years, we don’t want to be- come door mats. And, truth be told, it could result in reaching out to others, which feeds the good feelings in our brain and so it’s a complete circle of J.O.Y. resulting in blessings upon blessings! After much thought and a little research, I’ve come to a conclusion on this subject. The solution, as in so many other situations in life, is one word we often hear: modera- tion. Whether it be eating, drink- ing, reading, gaming, sleep- ing, gambling, running, good deeds, television or on and on, we need moderation. Yes, we need to strive to do all things in moderation. Consequently, we could turn our biggest flaw into our biggest blessing. “Energy and persistence conquer all things,” Ben Franklin said years ago. So, never give up. We never stop learning. As Lewis Carroll said, “That’s the reason they’re called lessons; they lessen from day to day.” An online program on Ore- gon’s lampreys will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12. The program is part of the Lower Nehalem Watershed Council’s annual speaker se- ries. The program, “Connecting Oregon Lampreys with Ore- gonians,” will be led by Ben- jamin Clemens, who is state- wide lamprey coordinator for Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. “Lamprey are a fascinating group of jawless, boneless, fish that have endured for at least 400 million years,” Cle- mens says. Ten species, or about 25 per- cent, live in Oregon. Pacific Lamprey were used by native Americans for culture, cere- mony, medicine, and food. Clemens formerly was pres- ident of the Oregon Chapter of the American Fisheries So- ciety. He holds a doctorate in fisheries science from Oregon State University, a master’s degree in zoology and a bach- elor’s degree in biology. The talk is free. More in- formation is available on the council’s Facebook page (facebook.com/lnwc1). To Your Health by Abbie Johnson It’s no easygoing job for ‘informal caregivers’ If you aren’t already, you have a one-in-six chance of becoming an “informal care- giver” within the next two years. Informal caregivers are people who provide regular care or assistance to a friend or family member with a health problem or disability. November is National Fam- ily Caregivers Month, when we take time to officially rec- ognize, praise and give sup- port to the 78 million Amer- icans who dedicate their (often unpaid) time to care for another adult. What many people don’t realize is that most hospice patients are cared for by care- givers in the home. Most of the time, these caregivers are untrained family members who learn to provide care “on the fly.” Special columns in The Columbia Press Every week: Senior Moments with Emma Edwards Week 1: To Your Health from CMH Week 2: Financial Focus with Adam Miller Week 3: Off the Shelf by Kelly Knudsen Final week: Mayor’s Message by Henry Balensifer With this in mind, my col- leagues at Lower Columbia Hospice and I would like to share with you some key skills and principles to use while caring for your loved one at home: Oxygen use: Loved ones close to end-of-life may be prescribed oxygen to keep them more comfortable. However, it’s important to follow precautions, such as keeping an oxygen system at least six feet away from any open flame or heat source, and never smoke or allow others to smoke in the same room as an oxygen system. Also be sure to have a func- tioning smoke detector and fire extinguisher in the home. Aspiration precautions: Loved ones close to end-of- life may also develop difficul- ty swallowing. It’s important to position your loved one upright when giving them food or water or pills. Cough- ing, watery eyes or gurgling are signs of aspiration that you may want to report to a hospice nurse. Hospice nurs- es can show you other ways to lower risk of aspiration as well. Repositioning: Loved ones close to end-of-life often become unable to make even small position changes inde- pendently. When someone becomes bedbound, reposi- tioning is crucial. Reposition- ing your loved one from side to side with pillows periodi- cally is important in combat- ting skin breakdown. Patience: Loved ones may become increasingly con- fused, disoriented, or erratic as a disease process runs its course. Although it’s difficult, caregivers should try to prac- tice patience with their loved ones and understand that the disease, not the person, is the reason for these changes. Above all, give yourself some grace. You are doing extraordinarily difficult and important work, usually without any formal training. • You can listen to an inter- view with me on this subject at podcasts.apple.com/us/ podcast/hands-on-health- cmh/id1536984917. To your health is sponsored by Columbia Memorial Hos- pital. Abbie Johnson is a hospice nurse at Lower Co- lumbia Hospice, a CMH out- reach program.