Keep the connection — how to reach out to help older family and neighbors

By Carrie Vittitoe

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced virtually everyone to adapt and adjust their daily lives, but those changes have impacted some groups of people more than others. Older adults in senior communities have had to forego visits from their adult children and grandchildren. During this time of uncertainty, it is important to stay connected in safe and responsible ways.

Lisa Smith, director of social services and neighborhood engagement at ElderServe, and her colleagues are calling their clients to check on their well-being and encouraging them to stay at home and away from others. She offers a number of suggestions to help older adults who are isolated. 1. Contact your neighborhood associations, which can put you in touch with older or homebound neighbors. A quick phone call can make a difference in someone’s day. 2. If you are not in a high-risk group and know someone who works in healthcare who has older adults in their family, offer to pick up prescriptions and supplies. People employed in healthcare are stressed enough; taking some of the worry from their shoulders about their loved ones is immensely helpful. 3. Your local church can be a good way to connect to older adults and find out if they need errands run or yard work done. 4. Do something nice for a neighbor, such as bringing their mail up to their front porch or taping a short note to their front door.

Some local residents have been trying unique ways to keep in touch without being physically present with their older loved ones.

“We took our nephew to get some flowers, and he dropped them off to his grandma and great aunt. Just wanted to make them smile while they are staying away from others.” — Kate Stiglitz

“My mom is in assisted living so we can’t go in, but I talk to her by text and FaceTime during the day. I pick up her shopping list, along with another lady’s list in the facility. I buy the items and return them to the front lobby. My brother and I stand outside her window and talk to her by phone. We fill four bird feeders so she can watch the birds.” — Phyllis Moss

If the rain ever stops, we’re going to go over and play some badminton in the green space outside (mom’s) window.” — Elaine Jack

“I have been encouraging my mom to open her blinds and let the sunshine in and do daily exercises (walking video).” — Stephanie Richardson

Happenings, news, and tidbits that caught Today’s Woman’s eye this month 28 THINGS (Why 28? Because we are 28 years old!)

By Anita Oldham

Need Your Own Space?

2-3 Boost Your Immunity Photo by Melissa Donald

If you have to go out in public it is important to give yourself an extra barrier of protection, according to Sarah Teeple, owner of Teeple Holistic. Try an effective therapy of oiling your nasal passages (nasya). This technique coats and protects your nasal tissues and acts as a barrier to catch viruses in the nose. You can buy nasya oil online from Banyan Botanicals or make your own by mixing one tablespoon of a carrier oil (coconut oil, sesame, jojoba, sweet almond, or avocado oil), with one drop of eucalyptus or tea tree essential oil.

To use: Dip your pointer-fingers into the oil and swirl fingers together to evenly coat the fingertips. Next, gently slide one finger into each nostril, massaging the oil into the nasal skin. It is easy and works as a quick immune booster. Wash your hands well again afterwards, and store leftover oil, covered at room temp for up to a week. Use every morning or before you go out into the public. You can find “Sarah Teeple nasya” on YouTube for a quick video.

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At a time when people are coping with being inside, perhaps sharing smaller spaces, we checked in with Sarah Dutton, who for the past 25 years, has traveled with her husband, Bill Stewart, in their 1965 Airstream camper. “Not only do we live in a 7x11 space, but we have two small dogs so you move when no one else is moving or when the other person goes away so we can’t crowd the space.” Sarah says this type of lifestyle allows both of them to recognize each other’s space, rights, feelings and needs. “Much like the coronavirus, it teaches us to be resilient; to reach down deep into our reservoirs and find depth in our being.”

5FIND INFORMATION • Kycovid19.ky.gov • coronavirus.in.gov

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“It’s so important for folks to have access to accurate, up-to-date information. Those who spread misinformation are harming all of us.” — CASSIE CHAMBERS, LAWYER, KAPLAN JOHNSON ABATE & BIRD

• COVID-19 Hotline: 800.722.5725 • Metro Public Health & Wellness: louisvilleky.gov/news/ what-you-need-know-about-coronavirus • Centers for Disease Control: cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019- ncov/index.html

A Prayer

6. We asked Bob Mueller, a longtime Hosparus Health employee, former priest, and contributor to our magazines, to suggest a prayer for our world in crisis.

Loving God, we hold in your healing presence those who suffer pain and ill health, especially from COVID-19, and for their families and those who care for them.

May your wisdom guide nurses, doctors and those who work in every part of our health and emergency services and across the world. Give us strength to bear our weakness, healing even when there is no cure, peace in the midst of turmoil and love to fill the spaces in our lives.

NATALIA BISHOP CASSIE CHAMBERS MANDEE MCKELVEY SARAH STRITE BETH HALL SARAH TEEPLE KARLA JARVIS

WORDS OF WISDOM DURING THIS CRISIS

40 April 2020 / TodaysWomanNow.com 7. “Everything is upside down, and with the kiddos running around all day, we've had to implement some scheduled times for my husband and I to be able to complete our work and not feel as though we are neglecting them. Both of my companies have gone to full remote work, and we are having to completely pivot our business models so it's an incredibly stressful time. Doing a daily walk has been very helpful for us. Also, we are not putting a tremendous amount of pressure on each other as a couple right now, trying to be mindful of the friction coming up from sharing a workspace, etc. NATALIA BISHOP, FOUNDER OF STORY LOUISVILLE AND CHIEF OF HAPPINESS AT LEVEL UP 9. I’m a standup comedian, which as you know is completely canceled right now, and I’m getting weirder by the day. I miss performing and yelling my opinions at people so much. However, my day job, which is director of adjunctive therapy at a hospital in Louisville, has ramped up to a level 10, and I’m experiencing two different sides of this health crisis. One is having my line of work completely disappear and losing income, and the other is high stress, being in the thick of it, exposure to lots of illness, trying to stay healthy to keep working. Advice: This is something that gives me a lot of comfort, especially working at a hospital, but I don’t know if it’ll comfort others. Don’t live like you’re trying not to catch the virus. It’ll drive you up a wall. Instead, live like you already have the virus and you don’t want to give it to anyone. For some reason that thought slows me down, helps me make smarter choices, and gives me a sense of control and a feeling of responsibility about my role in all of this. MANDEE MCKELVEY, COMEDIAN 8. My husband and I both work, and it's been challenging for us to continue working from home with our son's daycare shut down. We've ended up doing a lot of trading off (he'll take a two-hour shift, then I'll take a two-hour shift). Our son is just learning to crawl, and he's at that age that if you turn your back for a second he's on the other side of the room (and probably about to pull the dog's tail!). CASSIE CHAMBERS, LAWYER, KAPLAN JOHNSON ABATE & BIRD

10. I work in the restaurant industry and was laid off with a good percent of Louisville, and the faster we can get this under control, the faster we can all, hopefully, go back to work.

Besides being stressed about the unknown time of us all being out of work, worrying about bills and whatnot, I’ve been making a point to stay up on chores by doing a few a day, baking bread, and trying some Korean recipes I haven’t had time for until now.

Advice: Be mindful of the people who are still providing services, and support local businesses during this time. If you are in the service industry, the LEE Initiative has been an outstanding resource when it comes to helping out industry workers with food and supplies. Don’t be afraid to reach out during this time because we all need help. SARAH STRITE, SOUS CHEF, SOU!

11. The anxiety when you are always on the go and now you cannot — it is a huge urge to leave and just go. Staying put is the hardest thing. We have been going through old home movies and pictures. This helps us laugh, remember, and makes the time go fast. BETH HALL, OWNER, ACTORS CENTER FOR TRAINING

12. I'm a holistic wellness counselor and have been meeting with my clients over Zoom and FaceTime instead of in-person at the office. It is so valuable to stay connected when we are feeling isolated and to continue to focus on our health during this time of crisis.

This extra time at home is a great opportunity for self-care. Drink warm, non-caffeinated herbal teas, diffuse relaxing essential oils like lavender, frankincense, or cedar, and listen to soothing music like jazz by Charlie Hayden, or life-affirming like Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life. I have been dancing in the kitchen with my 10-month-old daughter, and those are our current go-tos. SARAH TEEPLE, OWNER, TEEPLE HOLISTIC

13. My parents are both over 60, and I am afraid of giving them the virus. I know I need to stay away from them to prevent me from giving them the virus. I love to hug them both, but right now I can’t and that is so sad to me. I encourage everyone to watch out for the elderly — call the ones you know and wave to the ones in your neighborhood to make someone’s day. Isolation is not good for anyone. KARLA JARVIS, CEO, JARVIS FAMILY MEDICAL CENTER

Photos by Melissa Donald Creative Story Time

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Grandmother (Shirley) and her grandson (Wesley) visit Shirley’s 96-year-old father-in-law Chester at Symphony at Valley Farms. Wesley made a storybook for his great-grandfather, but because as a precaution the book would have to be kept out of Chester’s hands for 48 hours, Shirley and Wesley decided to show it to him through the window instead.

20-26 WHEN IT’S TIME TO READ “I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book!” ― Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice Being social right now might be challenging, but at least you can read a good book. These local book clubs share their top picks.

Irrepressible: The Jazz Age Life of Henrietta Bingham by Emily Bingham Novel Women Book Club

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi The Bookies

Night Road by Kristin Hannah Louisville Divas Book Club

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles The Metro Book Club

My Antonia by Willa Cather The New Directions Book Club

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett Carmichael’s Community Book Club

We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler The Brown Bag and a Book Club

GET BOOKS ONLINE 27. The Louisville Free Public Library allows you to download books online! Follow the steps at lfpl.org/ eBooks.html to get your next story. Happy reading!

28. Read our Today’s Transitions spring issue online at TodaysTransitionsNow.com

15-19 A FEW GOOD MOVIES By Vanessa Hutchison

Think you’ve seen everything worth watching? Give these excellent movies a try.

Feel Good Movie: Justine A single mom who’s down on her luck takes a job caring for Justine, a girl with spina bifida. The friendship that develops between the two of them helps them both grow and change in unexpected ways. This movie is sure to tug at your heartstrings and fill you with warm, fuzzy thoughts and hope for life after quarantine.

Horror Thriller to Keep You Up at Night: The Platform If you enjoy esoteric horror like Us or Midsommar, this Spanish film uses a unique prison as a not-so-subtle metaphor for capitalist society, and the results are just as horrifying as you might imagine. Watch this one with the lights on to maintain your own sanity.

Edge of Your Seat Mystery: Lost Girls Young women keep disappearing, and no one seems to care. Based on a true story, Lost Girls will make you angry about all of society’s little inequities while also making sure you’re glued to the screen until the very end as this exciting mystery unfolds before your eyes.

Tear-Filled Bromance: Paddleton Ray Romano and Mark Duplass star in this tearjerker drama about two men who develop an unlikely bromance when the younger one receives a terminal cancer diagnosis. Romano and Duplass are both known for their comedic performances, but this movie will make you cry. Be sure to watch with a box of tissues or one of your 8,000 rolls of toilet paper.

Documentary To Make You Think: There’s Something in the Water If you’re looking for something more serious, this documentary wants to inspire you to fight for change. While filmmaker Ellen Page takes a close look at her native Nova Scotia in this documentary, the issues raised, including environmental racism and inequality, can be understood by people everywhere in the world. Check out the The Speed Art Museum’s Cinema for some new streaming options. speedmuseum.org/cinema (Or, read their recommendations, take a tour, or do an art project.)