ByLESLIEELLIS Review Staff Writer Ethel Guild and Mary Hook are two elderly women who have come to terms with the fact that their health isn’: vetting any better. _ 7 — They’ve both come to accept their limitations. But it hasn’t always been easy, and sometimes it’s. just plain frustrating. “We live on a hii and it’s delightful.’ said Hock, “But if Tl go out, | have to vo dewn the hill, and bean‘t get up avain.’* She savs her in- dependence is what she misses most. , Hook is 8) and suffers from -uleers on her legs. ti can’) do What T want by a lone was.-d have to think before tide things. and then I think shouwlday” “You fave to lean te dicey that youre not able to de what migyie | you used (0.°° said) Gruild. cd find oat really frustrating at. times.’ She'd like to be able ta hop ona bus and go slop pitts al Eaton's. ‘*bcould do itinow. bar I'd would worry about whether J was able to see at through.” Guild suffers fiom pulmunary fibrosis, an afflic- tion with the sume symptoms as emphezema. And the drugs she takes so she can breathe dave given her osteoperasis. Taking preseripnion. drugs often causes additional health problems) among the. elderly. According. 1 a Umiversity of Manitoba study, nearly 20 per cent of elderly patients admitted to hospital emergency wards were sick from the prescription drugs they were taking. Much of the problems arise, however, because the drugs are not being taken properly, noted medicine professor, Dr. Dan Sitar, who worked on the study. Sull;: Guild feels she is being very well looked after, and adds that people-in this country are. very fortunate to have the cam- about the Mt. Newton Day Cen- - tg got ype “Wame Jo SNUdreBB Phoar a Age prehensive. medical “care we: have. . = . fog She ‘couldn’t: “say © enough =. : ann pea po awa eran grime riper AMISH ANA MH Ne | check | H Revinw | G siihse rihiar oe ves ihe cideriy on tie which set ihe Peninsita, Pawy Berger-North, the cen-. tres exewulive director. feels the cenbie’s only real shorteoning is tha not deaching all the people who could benefit from its services. She said some peo- ple don't recognize they need the seyvices, while OLhers are 100 nroud or independent to take advantage of them. ph Still others simply arent aware of what's available. “The centre provides a tremendous ranve of services,’” said Berger- North. They include homemak- ing, adult daycare. hundyman’s servives, ~ respite Services. podiatry, bathing, oXygen, exer- cise programs, referral to other shealth professionals, transper- tation and more. To. be. elivible: for the gram, people must be assessed by a long term care assessor. “They must divulge personal in- formation, such as income and the nature of family. relation- * ships: people are reluctant to do so. Some are ‘also hesitant about attending the centre they feel it is the. first step iowids entering an. instituuion. _ ‘Daycare. is often. the step: that ‘come here, -pro-- Berger-North said some - because into an institu: - tion,’ said Berger-North. “‘If the centre promoted the wellness aspect, people might not get this fear? The centre is in the’ early stages of planning for a new, larger building. which Berger- North wants to promote .as a ‘wellness clinic,’* a place for the elderly to go to learn preven- tative health care. The proposal to the ministry of healthy which funds the present centre, is just going forward now. Berger-North said the new clinic might be less threatening to people who don’t feel they’ re not ready for.daycare. ‘‘l don’t think my own-mother would she said. ‘‘Some people come in and say, ‘I don’t need daycare, but would you check my blood pressure’?’” Many are not willing to ac- cept the fact that. they’re aging and -may. have to depend on prevents going - others. ‘‘Old age.is.a nuisance,”’ ‘said Hook. *‘At times it-jumps up on you that you can’t do this or can’t do that.”’ Guild agrees. ‘‘When you get : you really don’t feel.any . old, older... When. your. first gray hairs come, you’re kind of sur- prized. But you’re not going to» get away from it. It’s age, and it’s going to get worse.”’ With the help of the Mount Newton Adult Day Cente, the women, and many others like them have learned to accept ag- ing and the health problems that inevitably accompany it. But Hook finally admitted, “I don’t really. accept it, even now. But we’ve got to be on our best behavior for. ourselves.’ She has realized there is nothing to be gained by sitting around brooding over her limitations. Both women have had to change their way of thinking to cope with their situation. There are many others who are strug- gling with that very problem and haven’t yet been able to do so. “Taking it all around, we happen to be. very fortunate people,’’ said Hook. She notes that there are a lot of people’ who are older and worse. off than she is. lt’s all-a matter of perspective. DRIVE IN ON YOUR or DT AND WE WILL GIVE... SRO FOR YOUR ee poe SRT ae eee emees vet mt cy %, eae WITH THIS COUPON i@apire 652- aes = LL POT \ ‘ : AUTOM OF IVE © ! ; a ‘ §739 W: Saanich Ha.. Bo geegy meee ai ker AE Ry Fag fee Bante OT Chapel of Roses YOUR COMMUNITY CHAPEL SERVING... 7 DAY ROUND TRIP. 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