How to grow money is a lesson learned early

 Pile of Money (Photo: Postmedia Files)

I was born in the 50s, educated in the 60s and 70s, worked from 70s to date mostly in positions that involved persons with disability and helping them navigate through the challenges of finding their place. My current ‘job’ is that of elder statesmen, sharing what I know about growing up and aging with disability with a broad audience – online! I also share through my biweekly column with this publication. 

Growing up in a large family, positioned near the bottom of the sibling ladder had its advantages; I was able to observe how my siblings did things, including how they spent money. What set us apart is that they could easily go out and about in the community to spend theirs – at the corner store, at a local eatery when students and young people gathered, at sporting events, and so on. I could do none of that. I relied on Mom or an elder sibling with a driver’s license to meet those needs of community inclusion and opportunities to exercise purchasing power. Our money came in the form of an allowance. I remember going to Dad’s place at the table on allowance day to get my weekly share of the ‘family money’. Then I made my way to my bedroom to put it in my bank. I was a saver from way back! 

As they matured, my siblings got jobs outside the home, initially working during the province’s potato harvesting season. I stayed home, where Mom gave me opportunities to earn money around the house, doing small things, like ‘making’ my bed. That was always fun. In my case, chores involved movement, movement required legs. Legs got exercised.  And I got money for walking. While my legs were growing stronger, I was growing my money bank. A win-win.

The earlier children learn about money and how to manage it to make it work for them, the better. Frankly, I’d like to see more community based seminars available for parents so that they may  apply that knowledge in meaningful ways with their own children, especially the youngest. Contributing to chores around the house, whether it’s making his bed or clearing his dishes from the table can be started with a child as young as 3, with lots of verbal praise for jobs well done, along with a big ‘thank you for helping’. Showing a child he is valued sets the stage for him being amenable to expanding his repertoire of skills. 

When my stepson was young, he learned about loans; if he wanted something outside what his allowance would get him, the Bank of Mom loaned him the money. On allowance day, I counted out his weekly portion of the family money, and took away what he owed the BOM. Each week, it was a small amount, so as not to overwhelm his feelings but enough to make an impact. He learned that the money borrowed came from my own work preparing manuscripts for publishing houses in the city and also working for a few professors at the university. I explained to him how much work I’d have to do to pay a phone bill, a light bill, a bag of pet food, or shoes for him as examples of the flow of funds.  He understood the reasoning and was able to stay on track and on task. He became financially aware and more thoughtful about spending.

Being responsible for keeping ones bedroom tidy was a given as being part of the family.  Setting the table and unloading the dishwasher required paying attention to detail, which was more like a job for which there was financial reward, above the allowance.  He was encouraged to save that. 

It’s been my experience that the single-most important thing one can do on their road to improved financial health is to pay themselves first, regardless of income. I continue to pay myself first, deliberately living below my means. When I was single, I took 10% right off the top, before paying bills. When I married, my income was not combined with my husband’s; he was a retired financial planner/stock broker and was impressed at my money sense. When he passed away, part of his life insurance paid off the mortgage. I took out another to do residential rehabilitation to adapt my home to my aging needs which was a good move to further solidify my credit rating. I made lump sum payments to bring down that mortgage debt quickly.

After I paid myself first, then the household bills, including the biweekly mortgage payment, I paid myself again with what was left – bonus bucks! I wasn’t much of a party animal going to clubs in my youth, etc., so I was able to save for things I wanted and pay cash for them. Credit card debt didn’t plague me. A few of my siblings got caught in that cycle, treating credit cards like money, forgetting it had to be paid back.  My best advice is this – save for what you want, then pay for it on a credit card. Then, pay off that card loan immediately. Do that a few times. Establishing that pattern of fiscal responsibility pays off later on when it comes time to apply for bank loans.

Btw, this frugal Scot is mortgage free, now paying the bank of Carla a nice chunk o change every month instead.

Carla MacInnis Rockwell is a freelance writer and disability rights advocate living outside Fredericton, NB with Miss Lexie, a rambunctious Maltese and Mr. Malcolm, a boisterous Havanese. She can be reached via email at Carla MacInnis Rockwell

All I Want For Christmas Is ....

 

Gifting for Christmas doesn’t have to be about adding another sweater to the drawer, another pot to the kitchen cupboard, another ornament for the mantle. Au contraire! Lots of gifts can be totally clutter free.  For the senior in your world, perhaps a subscription to the daily paper that fixed income may have forced them to cancel, denying themselves something they enjoyed. Another great gift for senior pet parents is a case of tinned food for their dog or cat, or a bag of kibble. Confirm their preferred brands.

My dinner and a movie pal and I exchange uncluttering gifts; she, by providing me transportation to the city as required to accommodate various errands and I, by gifting her with baked and/or cooked goods - breads, cake slices, muffins, soups, left overs from shared meals. She reports that a single take-away provides her with two meals. Unlike me, she doesn’t have the appetite of 3 men and a boy.

Uncluttering gifts, especially at holiday times such as Christmas, go a long way to enhancing the health and wellness of the shut-in or otherwise isolated. Bringing a meal to share is a gift that reaps many benefits for both the giver and the recipient with residual effects felt by the recipient lingering long after the dessert is gone. That emotional connection, if only for a brief period, is one gift that has no price tag.  It should be remembered that gifting in this way isn’t confined to the holiday season. It’s something that people can do with and for each other throughout the year. 

Another uncluttering gift is that of helping a person actually declutter his spaces. Very often, those with physical limitations due to life long disability or folks in physical decline as a consequence of advancing age or illness, or who are experiencing depression, whether mild or full-blown clinical depression, which may send them to bed for days at a time, may not be able to keep up with maintaining living spaces the way they used to or the way they’d like to. Key here is not to bulldoze your way into their personal spaces; boundaries must be respected. Gently suggesting to your friend or family member that you are free to ‘help’ them dispose of 6 months worth of newspapers on the living room sofa is a start. Baby steps. Just keep taking the baby steps until the two of you are walking through the spaces with a growing confidence in letting go of ‘stuff’. 

A few months ago, I spent hours cleaning spaces that I find particularly awkward and a tax on my energy. I finally bit the bullet and purged several base cabinets in the kitchen, taking the ‘just toss it’ approach. Spaces were emptied, vacuumed, scrubbed. What remained was reorganized. My goal, and so far so good, is to establish a rotation of use for various appliances - a metal insert slow cooker roaster is better suited for certain dishes while the ceramic insert ‘official’ slow cooker is ideally suited for other things. To avoid a lot of bending over and reaching into cabinets to lift out some heavy cooking appliance, I leave my favourite, often used ‘slow’ cookers on the counter. Those less or rarely used appliances are given away. Do you have such appliances in your cupboards? You know what to do! I’ve given away a few appliances that after many years of use and enjoyment needed to find another home, to be used by someone who enjoyed kitcheny things as much as I do. A dehydrator is about to be rehomed very soon.

If you have several counter top appliances that you’ve not used in months, donate them to your local Habitat for Humanity store or other such outlet that takes donations.  I had no problem ‘letting go’ of the stuff in the kitchen cupboards. Up next, the ‘cubby’ under the stairs in the den.  Slow n steady! Psst, there is a Coleman stove and two lanterns in  there. Hmm! I am NOT a camper! Call first!

After a friend or family member has felt safe enough to let you help with decluttering, leave them with an uncluttering gift, perhaps a pan of lasagna, portioned and wrapped in single servings ready for the freezer. If you’re invited to join your friend for a lasagna lunch or dinner - accept! That date has potential to create another opportunity for you to take another step in helping with decluttering. Swapping an uncluttering gift with a period of decluttering also has potential for an added bonus - meeting new people. 

Dropping off things you no longer need to various service agencies gets you connected to people with whom you may find a common interest.  Those networking opportunities serve also to break into the isolation felt by and those who otherwise may feel they don’t ‘fit’ anywhere and with that comes improved physical and emotional health and wellness as time away from the ‘safe zone’ is increased. Lapses and lags in physical and emotional health often contribute to cluttering/hoarding, so being able to get out and about to engage in meaningful social gatherings may help resolve a lot of anxiety and dial back the ‘need’ to hang on to stuff. He who is isolated may start inviting people ‘in’ and the reasons for concerning behaviour may melt away.

Perhaps today will be the day you’ll explore a plan to share both uncluttering and decluttering gifts.

Carla MacInnis Rockwell is a freelance writer and disability rights advocate living outside Fredericton, NB with Miss Lexie, a rambunctious Maltese and Mr. Malcolm, a boisterous Havanese. She can be reached via email at Carla MacInnis Rockwell

International Day of Persons With Disability

Photo: Annie Spratt/Unsplash

Today’s the day! The International Day of Persons With Disability, proclaimed in 1992 by the UN General Assembly Resolution 47/3 is here again. For many, it’s a time of reflection – what did we accomplish this past year that allowed those who live with challenges to daily living to be more included, to feel more included? 

This year’s theme is  ‘Removing Visible and Invisible Barriers’.

“Rita Ebel, nicknamed ‘Lego grandma’, builds wheelchair ramps from donated Lego bricks in the living room of her flat in Hanau, Germany. The ramps contain several hundred of the small plastic bricks stuck together with up to eight tubes of glue.” 

         A wheelchair user for 25 years after an auto accident, Ms. Ebel saw a need and decided to do something about it. That’s often how a life-altering ‘fix’ to independent living gets started. She painstakingly pieces together community access, one Lego ramp at a time.                               

For folks like me, living with disability is a cradle to grave existence, a life that has to be planned around wobbly mobility in order to stay safe and well. As I age with cerebral palsy, I have noticed changes over the decades with regard to mobility; as well,  proficiency was impacted by a transient ischemic attack last year.  Biweekly physiotherapy provided by New Brunswick’s Extra Mural Program significantly enhances the quality of my life so I may continue to live independently in my own home, in surroundings that meet my needs. Everything as I need it ensures safety while aging in place. Providers of services like those available through the EMP are a huge boost to independent living to the since birth disabled and those new to how changes in health and wellness can impact how they conduct the daily business of living their lives. Every day, many of us have to tweak how we do things as our health and stamina changes.

In my 68 years of living with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy, I have faced many obstacles, mostly with regard to architectural accessibility being the big sticking point in my world. My home underwent many renovations to accommodate my situation, some of them were undertaken in advance of the implications aging would pose on my lifestyle. Grab bars in the bathroom; grab bars along a wall going down to the den where there is an open space on one side, with a railing on the other add an extra layer of protection. Just in case.                                                                                                       

If you have an older neighbour who might need some guidance, perhaps you could do a walk-through and make a list of what may be needed to ensure safe independent living going forward. Being able to stay home, even if alone, is much less costly on health care dollars than admissions due to falls with subsequent expense of care at home.

International Day of Persons With Disability shines a light on what the community can do to enhance inclusion and safe participation.  Anything that is done at the local level saves money in the long term. An emotionally and intellectually engaged person is a healthier person and less of a drain on health care dollars. Finding their place and finding their way requires power of the people. Maybe you’re such a person who would find common ground with someone who moves differently, talks differently, thinks differently, but enjoys company while eating, watching a movie, or going for a walk or a wheel to the park for some people watching. Companionship fills a huge void in the lives of many among us. Including you!

Attitudinal barriers were problematic during my secondary education as well as during my early work life until we, the disabled community, became more visible in the 70s and 80s, with 1981, being the International Year of Disabled Persons. It was also the year that Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer married and they acknowledged the accomplishments of persons with challenges to daily living with a request that donations be made to local charities instead of gifting to them.                                            

Arthritis and other musculoskeletal problems, like cerebral palsy are the most common causes of long-term disability, making up as much as a third of all disability cases. Arthritis is probably the biggest single cause. Three of my siblings lived with the disability of arthritis and its concurrent complications. I live with osteoarthritis of the thoracic spine, often found in persons with cerebral palsy who do manage to learn how to walk. Life is a daily balancing act where I must gauge what I can do that’s necessary to maintain a healthy home and a healthy self and what I can no longer do.  I try not to ask for help often but sometimes, it’s a necessary part of my world.

Discussing disability and other differences amongst us can be difficult, but it is in the differences that the foundation to empathy is found, adding support social-emotional learning, even in young children.

When I’m out and about, my interactions with both young and old are such that they lend themselves to bringing to the attention of the person with whom I am conversing a greater awareness of what living in my world is like.   They leave our brief time together armed perhaps with a different perspective, with a greater appreciation of how they could be helpful to someone in their community, on the street where they live. A hand reaching out.

Carla MacInnis Rockwell is a freelance writer and disability rights advocate living outside Fredericton, NB with Miss Lexie, a rambunctious Maltese and Mr. Malcolm, a boisterous Havanese. She can be reached via email at Carla MacInnis Rockwell 

                                                      

Aging pet parents have special needs

 

Miss Lexie and Mr. Malcolm at nap time

In the spring, two of my brothers passed away. Both were pet parents, with my younger brother Michael and his wife having a dog a several cats, including one with the disability of blindness. My elder brother, Ian, and his wife had a cat. When they passed away, their pets had one surviving ‘parent’ to meet the daily needs of feeding, grooming, time and attention. Their pets also had a person who loved them and knew all their quirks in the home where they spent their lives. Pets notice the absence of their people and their expressions of grief are real.

When I die, whatever pet(s) remain will have no such option and will need a ‘parent’ and a new place to live which involves significant adjustment to entrenched routines.

In my Last Will and Testament, I have designated the Executor of my Estate, my nephew, as my pets’ ‘parent’. As well, I have drafted a Pet Care Plan In Case of Emergency. It’s in an envelope secured to the front of the refrigerator in the laundry room. It outlines, in detail, the routines of Miss Lexie and Mr. Malcolm, from what they eat and their snack habits to their morning and evening routines. As well, where and how they sleep are also noted. Those things are important to a pet’s security. Like children and older people with various degrees of cognitive decline, sameness is vital to emotional health of a pet.

Trixie, my niece in Montreal, shared a snippet from her life with a new friend, an 82 year old lady from her neighbourhood; the woman’s daughter posted on a pet rehoming group that her mother had to give up her dog. As the story was unfolded, my niece’s friend had a heart attack and could no longer care for her canine companion, Eddy.

Trixie is Mom of 3, and she and her youngest, Ronan, still at home, enjoy a positive relationship with their own dog. As Trixie observed, her friend didn’t want to give Eddy away, she just couldn’t completely meet his needs, which included walks. The dog, as it turns out, was not only a bit of a handful, he was a total character. And so, Trixie and Ronan stepped in and since July, they’ve been walking Eddy. A match made in heaven as the stars aligned; a working Mom and her son helping an elderly lady in the community who needed some assistance. As it turns out, their senior bestie is also great fun to hang out with. A problem for one in need found a solution in another willing to reach out.

When I was my niece’s age, early 50s, I had the same thoughts with regard to seniors struggling to have basic day to day needs met within the community, whether it’s dog walking or transportation to get groceries or meet doctors’ appointments or even just going out to lunch. Aging imposes limitations that we often don’t think about until they creep in, one by one, layer by layer.

For many years, I lived in downtown Fredericton with my two cats and a pair of terriers, a Cairn and a Westie, in the ground floor apartment of a lovely spacious Victorian with back yard; I walked the dogs myself, as I moved about with crutches, a terrier attached to each one, going to Wilmot Park. That was exhausting, so I hired walkers, three sisters, the Webster girls, Allison and Jessica and Eleanor. The daily, 5 days/week care and attention the girls provided, meeting the needs of my terriers was a real boost to my own emotional health and contributed to me being less worried about being able to properly care for them by ensuring they enjoyed the fun part of a dog’s life. Walks!

As with many youthful ‘first jobs’, the girls aged out of their dog walking gig and moved on to bigger and better things. I transitioned to using a wheelchair for longer outings, which was perfect for the dogs with their ‘social butterflies’ meeting and greeting as they went, allowing me to safely go out and about in the city without fear of being pulled over -- always a concern when I walked them while using crutches. The chair was ideal as the Westie was getting on and slowing down, tiring after a few blocks. Securing her on my lap with the seat belt was an ideal solution which allowed us to enjoy an outing for a longer period, with the young Cairn running along, attached to the arm of the chair.

My current terriers don’t have the same outside experience enjoyed by their predecessors. As my health situation changed it was prudent for me to stick closer to home so the dogs are tethered to a 50ft cable off the garage and also have access to a pen via an enclosed porch, accessed from my office/tv room at the back of my home. Occasionally, though, I’ll take them out on the mobility scooter for a brief outing and change of scene; in an ideal world, they’d have a walker. There are several dog/pet care services in Fredericton and elsewhere that cater to the needs of aging pet parents. Were my circumstances different, I’d be availing myself of them.

For now, Miss Lexie and Mr. Malcolm are the perfect prescription to my continued emotional and physical health. They keep me keepin’ on.

Carla MacInnis Rockwell is a freelance writer and disability rights advocate living outside Fredericton, NB with Miss Lexie, a rambunctious Maltese and Mr. Malcolm, a boisterous Havanese. She can be reached via email at carmacrockwell@xplornet.ca

When I grow up I want to be a ....

Photo: Brunswick News Archives

      “What do you want to be when you grow up?” is a oft-asked question, whether posed to a group of 4 year olds playing with Legos and trucks or a youngster choosing a book from his personal home library.  Children playing with blocks being creative with design and those little ones who like to read or be read to are already filling up their ‘ideas’ bank with things they’d like to do and be when they get old enough, big enough, smart enough. Reinforcing the value of constructive play with one or two others or organizing a Lego house building contest is a great way for children to work collaboratively from a very young age. Reading circles also provide children with opportunities to learn and share ideas.  Reading contributes to allowing people, young and old, to make informed decisions about what they want to be and do when they grow up, so it’s vital to encourage it. Not all children are suited to the university track, that sought after goal of their parents and grandparents before them, but they can still be productive, forward moving citizens doing something quite different, that’s suited to their temperament and interests. 

The opportunities available to children while they are young will shape options available to them once they become part of the community on a more consistent, daily basis starting with schooling, from kindergarten going forward. 

In a recent newspaper article I read about curriculum changes to be made within New Brunswick schools to allow for more flexibility and choice. Having access to learning opportunities that appeal to aptitudes and interests has a staying power not always found in ‘sit down a be quiet’ methods of teaching; the latter model, in its rigidity, tends to set the stage for students tuning out to the instructor and that in turn is reflected in poor showing at exam time. The interest in material presented just isn’t there. Something had to be done. Still more needs to be done. Bring back shop, home economics, business education courses -- all those classes where hands-on learning drives the lessons. Co-operative learning and apprenticeship within the community are other ways to strengthen ‘staying power’ of the student’s in school experience. Children moving from kindergarten to first grade benefit from lots of hands-on learning which inspires them to drive their learning, whether through reading about specific topics of interest or venturing out into the community to become a part of groups involved in uplifting community spirit. 

For the most part, the growth of a child becomes a community project with many hands involved in shaping the path to young adulthood and beyond. For that reason, it’s imperative to pay attention early on, noting those subtle cues that tell you the story of the child’s learning style. In that way, adults can tailor their approach to match the skills of the child, setting a path for the youngster to thrive and move forward with little frustration to success. 

When asked many children will say they want to be, in order of preference, a doctor, a teacher, a scientist or a baker. The latter is a skill that every child should learn as soon as they’re able to toddle. Helping in the kitchen is an education in itself. Baking and cooking incorporate listening skills, reading and math skills and the skill of co-operation – working with one or more to achieve the end result; the finished cake, batch of cookies or hamburgers. Fruits of the labour are enjoyed by all and knowing their efforts are appreciated, as they should be, inspires children to do it again, to even ask to do it again. And that is exactly what a teacher wants and needs to see.

When I was growing up in rural NB, I lived in a community where families were large; I’m number 7 of 8. Following trends, children often chose professions in keeping with the work life experience of their parents. Typically, mothers worked inside and around the home, sustaining a stable home life for her husband and children. As children grew in maturity, they took their place in sharing load. That’s the way it was. All manner of interchangeable skill sets were accumulated that allowed children to make decisions about future plans that were more reality based. Children who wanted to be Superman when they were 4 grew into the idea when they were 12 that they wanted to be a police officer when they grew up. 

My late father was a doctor and my mother was a teacher. Before he was a doctor, though, Dad was a teacher. When he was in med school, there were already two children, an older sister and brother; over time, 6 more ‘rug rats’ joined them.  None of us went on to be a doctor but a few teachers tumbled out of Clan MacInnis. I’ve been a bit o this and a bit o that over my life. With the passage of time, the stuff that defines me as a ‘productive’ citizen got rolled into one job; the job of being me – a  listener, a counsellor, a reader, a writer. I’ve been writing for over 30 years and with this publication for 10. Living what I know, as I age with disability, allows me to educate parents out there who may be raising little ones like the child I used to be. There’s a place for us!

Carla MacInnis Rockwell is a freelance writer and disability rights advocate living outside Fredericton, NB with Miss Lexie, a rambunctious Maltese and Mr. Malcolm, a boisterous Havanese. She can be reached via email at Carla MacInnis Rockwell

What to do with 'broken' health care

Photo: Unsplash/Hush Naidoo Jade Photography

The health care system in New Brunswick is broken; broken is unsafe. Those with the 'inside track' know that it has to be rebuilt from the ground up and those those who've bee playing both ends against the middle in aid of giving the impression that things are 'just fine' need to `fess up to become part of the solution rather than spinning a narrative that continues to hide their part in the failures.

Hospitals are short staffed, doctors are aging out of general practice and specialties with not enough numbers to replace them, rural medicine is practically non-existent and that is the one thing that will allow the system to ‘get up off the floor’

New Brunswick is a province of seniors, elderly and geriatrics with immigration flow being more of a stopping off, checking it out and moving on place for those with greater mobility. We need to incentivize them staying to work and become part of the larger fabric of the culture of New Brunswick. That comes with exploring what brought them to ‘the picture province’ in the first place. Health care workers are exhausted, burned out, ready to throw in the towel. Were that to happen, the most vulnerable among us would be tossed into even greater emotional crisis, drowning in fear of the unknown.

Rethinking how medical care is delivered must be pushed to the forefront of any planning. Tools are still available; they just need a good cleaning so that people can see that there’s still value in the old ways. People first medical practice is a valuable way to more actively involve patients in their care, each and every day, from morning to bedtime; from toddling to geriatric slow walking or even no walking.

Health care delivery must become a collaborative effort that includes the community; recipients of health care must be more involved in looking after themselves and even their neighbour who struggles. The cost savings with stepped proactivity will be significant over time as stress is removed from services within the hospital setting.

There’s a pervasive complacency amongst users of health care services that everything will carry on as it’s always done regardless of the systemic abuses of the system meant to care for all. How can it carry on under the weight of what I call ‘frequent fliers’, with their over-use because they failed at home to meet their needs to be responsible grown-ups. With that comes responsible child care, expanding their skillset, from appreciating the importance of breakfast to knowing that early bedtime is vital to growing children.

We must correct course in our own homes, acknowledging our part in current gaps in care. Track your own ER visits in the last 6 months; the last year. How many were really urgent or more fear/panic driven? Would a telephone conversation with a doctor have allayed concerns? Let’s talk house calls, shall we. There’s a place for them.

I haven’t visited a hospital ER in years and I like it that way. I would often tell my late father who practiced medicine in Bath, NB for decades that I was confident I’d live a long and healthy life in spite of challenges to daily living. His brother, also a doctor, told me more than once that’d I’d be long-lived because of my disabling conditions, to show others ‘how it’s done’. Perhaps he got it right. I’m still tickin’ along with no major health complaints. When I moved to my current home in 1991, one of my first guests was the man who would become my family doctor until he retired; he made house calls. The late Dr. David Wagener was recommended to me by my doctor in Fredericton, the late Dr. B.P. Thorpe. She thought David and I would be a good fit. She was right.

During the height of COVID, I hunkered down, secure in the knowledge that I had enough healthy eats to feed a small army for several months.. From the 70s when I gained independence from parents to today, I am mindful of the choices I make with regard to how they impact my health and continued independent living as a person aging with disability.

I’m heartened to see that our rates of COVID are the lowest in the country and that as people who are now free of many of the COVID confinement restrictions are out and about in the community, they’re making a concerted effort to be forward moving with mindfulness of the needs of others.

Various components of our health care system outside the hospital setting have been in place when we were in the thick of COVID and during the dialing down of restrictions to movement. Financial assistance, food programs and mental health resources have been available to help families recover. It’s an ongoing process and it’s incumbent upon on all of us to be actively involved as solutions.

Our compliance, working toward a shared goal, serves to enhance the health care system; that being so, students undecided about a career path might consider nursing, medicine or social work. Our province is crying out for nurses and support workers to go into the homes of those who can’t easily come out to BE in the community. Could that be you?

Carla MacInnis Rockwell is a freelance writer and disability rights advocate living outside Fredericton, NB with Miss Lexie, a rambunctious Maltese and Mr. Malcolm, a boisterous Havanese. She can be reached via email at carmacrockwell@xplornet.ca

Our health begins in our mouth

Photo: Brunswick News Archives

The health of New Brunswickers begins in the mouth. It’s true; we are what we eat and when nutrition is compromised, evidence of distress in heart, lungs, muscles, blood and bones presents in the mouth and spiders throughout the rest of the body with an array of symptoms. Diabetes and heart disease are impacted by dental disease as are conditions like arthritis and fibromyalgia. The list is long. Sadly, though, dental care is not covered as part of the Medicare scheme in this province. Imagine the cost savings across the board if it was!

Fluoridation of water supplies have improved quality of health of teeth and mouth, but it was never meant to be a replacement for proper dental care which is a multi-layered process. In covering routine dental care and follow-up with cleanings and fillings, the province will save money on the other side of care – physical medicine and the costs related to treating illnesses linked to cardio-pulmonary function. Repeat infections are often rooted in the mouth but manifest in the throat and lungs. Are doctors asking the right questions of patients they see a few times a year? I think not.

The Dental Program under Health and Community Services covers exams, X-rays, extractions and fillings to a maximum of $1,000/year, as well as dentures and denture repairs; those with disability may be entitled to dental cleanings. But what about the rest who are barely making it financially and struggle to keep a roof over their head and food on the table?

Medicare should cover all levels of dental care. There are far too many in this province who live in constant pain due to dental disease which often results in tooth loss. Then there’s the social stigma of tooth loss and the anxiety it causes.

All of this could conceivably go away with the province once and for all covering dental care, beginning with early childhood interventions that include parent/caregiver. A start would be a daily morning tooth brushing regimen for children from daycare through 6^th grade with the government providing funds to support supplies.

It was wrongly believed that our oral health was up to us; our individual responsibility. In society there will always be those who are not able, for whatever reason, to make sound decisions about life choices, health care among them, so public financing of this important component of our daily lives cannot be viewed as a ‘give-away’ to the poor and those of limited means. Their issues go deeper.

Living hand to mouth, paycheck to paycheck is emotionally exhausting as people try to portion out their wages or their welfare benefits to cover all or most of their needs. Last on their list, unfortunately, is dental care. The cost of a routine exam is prohibitive for many who’ve lived on the financial fringes all of their lives, from the cradle, for far too many. Certainly, there are mechanisms in place through the province for those who are recipients of their financial systems of support. The naysayers of even that level of assistance point fingers, going on ad nauseam about people not being interested in working and laying about at home doing nothing. That’s an unfair and erroneous assessment and it’s insulting to those, often single mothers with 2 or more children, who are simultaneously juggling several different balls just to keep it all going.

The respiratory system can suffer as a result of poor oral health. Bacteria in the mouth from infected teeth and swollen gums can be breathed into the lungs or travel there through the bloodstream. Once there the bacteria can lead to respiratory infections, pneumonia, acute bronchitis, and even COPD. How many hospital admissions for heart and lung issues have their beginnings in a bad tooth and concurrent infection? I would suspect there are many. In supporting dental care, funds could be redirected to programs where children spend most of their time – in school.

It reasons that children’s dental health should be set as a priority as part of the school curriculum. A child who suffers through repeated infections cannot effectively concentrate to learn what is taught each day. Encouraging proper dental hygiene with daily reminders paves the way to improved overall health and enhanced learning. A reason to smile!

Carla MacInnis Rockwell is a freelance writer and disability rights advocate living outside Fredericton, NB with Miss Lexie, a rambunctious Maltese and Mr. Malcolm, a boisterous Havanese. She can be reached via email at carmacrockwell@xplornet.ca

Leave the cellphone alone

Photo: Miramichi Leader

I read Peter Koritansky’s recent article in The Telegraph Journal about students returning to the classroom and what he identified as three points to consider to ensure that students get the most out of their experience while they put their best forward. 

Mr. Koritansky advocates no cell phones in school – at all. School uniforms for all, and the playing of classical music before the school day begins and between classes.

I’m a yes, yes, and a yes. 

No cell phones.  Students are working; they’re on the job.  There was a life before cell phones that did not include making phone calls to friends and family during the school day and it’s concerning that parents balk at the notion that their children should be denied access. Baloney, I say. Loudly! Their pushback is nothing more than an adult tantrum. Unless a catastrophic event, what’s so important that you need to call your child at school, interrupting the teacher and the rest of the class? That is not responsible parenting.  Bending to the will of a child is also not a good idea; the adult loses credibility the moment giving in becomes part of the parenting style. I’m not being an ‘old poop’. I’m being realistic. I’m all for negotiating terms when a child wants to do a certain thing, or buy something he’s wanted for awhile, but parents need to be respectful of the rules of the classroom in the same way that they’d expect someone to respect the protocols in their own workplace.  No cellphones improves academic performance which reaps good grades to apply to applications for a stable job with advancements. A win-win. Parents do your job so your children can do theirs. 

School uniforms. Yup, again! In schools across the country, we see economic disparity illustrated in the attire worn by students, both boys and girls. Unfortunately, dress styles elicit comments or impressions that are not always an accurate assessment of the person or personality. Lack of financial resources to do the before school year shopping is an anxiety inducing poke in the gut for so many students. That first day,  passing through the doors, knowing that they won’t measure up, with no designer duds, makes young people anxious and those first few days are a nightmare. That can be avoided with inexpensive uniformity; shirts, slacks, skirts, shoes. A school sweater and a tie also creates a camaraderie, an “I belong here” that opens opportunities for students to meet and greet others of their age who may not be of their socio-economic group; sameness of dress makes that not matter. People first engagement is taking place and that is a good thing.   Meet `n greets  devoid of comparisons based on possessions – designer this or that, is a great equalizer, paving the way for lasting friendships through subsequent years of school life. When students understand that school dress code is not a punishment but a way for everyone to feel important to school life, they begin to shift their thinking, growing into WE people. Taken out of the classroom, they’re better prepared to meet the ‘rules of the road’ as they interact with members of their community, regardless of age. Bonus points for school uniform enhancing emotional growth and future potential.

                                           

I’m an all-in proponent of introducing music to the school experience, going so far as to suggest that light classical music be played during classes as well as between classes; students are unwittingly absorbing knowledge of sound, of rhythm. In some classical music they may recognize popular music --  “I’ve heard this somewhere before.”

A famous quotation from William Congreve (1670-1629)  has a lot more truth to it than he ever realized four hundred years ago. To complete the quote: "Music hath charms to soothe the savage breast. To soften rocks, or bend the knotted oak."

From my own personal experience with regard to the benefit of music, I believe that giving students, particularly those who are challenged with components of ADHD/ADD,  an opportunity listen to a composer a day would go a long way to enhancing their learning experience. Perhaps time could be set aside at end of day for them to learn about composers. Imagine the possibilities!

Carla MacInnis Rockwell is a freelance writer and disability rights advocate living outside Fredericton, NB with Miss Lexie, a rambunctious Maltese and Mr. Malcolm, a boisterous Havanese. She can be reached via email at Carla MacInnis Rockwell

 

We need more doctors who listen and hear

                                                                    The Doctor (Luke Fildes)

Some time ago, my sister-in-law found a framed art print that was in Dad’s den in the home where I grew up; the print was inspired by the 1891 painting “The Doctor” by Luke Fildes that depicts a Victorian doctor observing the critical stage in a child's illness while the parents gaze on helplessly from the periphery.

It has been used to portray the values of the ideal physician and the inadequacies of the medical profession. I had a particular affinity for that painting as during my first two years, the den had been my bedroom; soundproof and dark. My parents learned in short order that I did much better with sleep when there were no outside interferences. I came to learn that children with CP are challenged by overstimulation and sleep is challenged if mechanisms are not put in place to ensure quality rest. Today, I wear a sleep mask.

According to historical accounts, the most important influence behind the painting was the death, on Christmas morning, 1877 of Fildes' first child, one-year-old son, Philip, who succumbed to typhoid fever. The child in the sick bed has long curly hair so it’s difficult to know the baby’s gender. In my little child’s mind, as I grew, I identified with that baby.

Like the child in the sickbed, I had a doctor at my bedside during those early years; my father, one of the physicians practicing in the small village of Bath, New Brunswick researched what he thought might be wrong with me and my legs months before the official diagnosis by both a paediatrician and orthopaedic surgeon in Fredericton, NB. All three physicians provided compassionate care decades before medicine became a ‘numbers’ game.

In ‘The Doctor’, the physician is treating the child, his patient, as a person, being a compassionate caregiver with empathy for the child’s suffering. That’s how my father treated his patients long before Medicare -- going out on house calls late into the night, attending at scenes of car accidents; one in particular, years ago, involving fatalities which also injured my eldest brother.

I recall many evenings, while my brothers and sisters and I were watching television, Dad was on the phone in another room, speaking with a patient about various concerns. Most evenings were dotted with such phone calls. Today’s doctors aren’t likely to be investing much of their ‘down time’ to fielding after hours calls from anxious patients. Would be dollar saving if they did.

Our province needs more qualified physicians willing to practice in rural settings to fill in the gaps left by professionals leaving for ‘greener pastures’ – better hours and better pay, and willing to add their name to a roster of physicians who will make house calls.

For years, I have been of the view that doctors making house calls is the more efficient way to DO good medicine. A province-wide scheme of visiting doctors would save millions in health care dollars, with home-based primary care focusing first on a vulnerable and disenfranchised population, often older adults with multiple chronic conditions who also experience problems with basic activities of daily living “They are what payers refer to as 'high need, high cost.'” Their greater needs cost more, so staying ahead of the demand at home will avoid the more costly hospital admission in terms of hands-on care and bed space.

In attending at the home of an elderly or older patient specifically, the care provider is able to assess the environment if only in a limited way. A walk-about in the common areas would allow the visiting doctor to note any areas that need attention – like bathrooms and safety – are there grab bars in place? As we age, balance becomes an issue and bathroom falls are reduced with safety in place which is, as we agree, a cost savings to the health care budget.

A discussion about eating habits and meal preparation is another way a doctor can assess patient health and whether interventions are necessary to improve quality of life through better nutrition or to determine if house cleaning supports are need.

Home visiting doctors is a win-win, improving patient and care provider health with cost savings that will grow over time to be rolled into other services of patient care.

Carla MacInnis Rockwell is a freelance writer and disability rights advocate living outside Fredericton, NB with Miss Lexie, a rambunctious Maltese and Mr. Malcolm, a boisterous Havanese. She can be reached via email at carmacrockwell@xplornet.ca

Disabled and disability. What do they mean?

Annie Spratt/Unsplash

It's true! We have a somewhat narrow view of what 'disabled' and 'disability' mean. Every day, young and old are 'made' disabled by attitudes about them and the why, the what and the how of their lives. Being fearful can be soul crushingly disabling. 

Part of the problem with the word 'disabilities' according to Fred Rogers, of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood fame, is that it immediately suggests an inability to see or hear or walk or do other things that many of us take for granted.

His words resonate: “But what of people who can't feel? Or talk about their feelings? Or manage their feelings in constructive ways? What of people who aren't able to form close and strong relationships? And people who cannot find fulfillment in their lives, or those who have lost hope, who live in disappointment and bitterness and find in life no joy, no love? These, it seems to me, are the real disabilities.”

For many decades as I’ve expanded my writing portfolio, I have often referred to WE people and ME people. I recently read an article about that very notion with thoughts from marriage and family therapist, Terrence Real, who opines that “a toxic focus on individualism has led to an extreme disconnection from one another in our interpersonal relationships.” COVID confinement has made many more ME driven people; self-preservation kicks in big time – even the vaccinated can get COVID. Being a WE people will redirect their energies. Less focus on self makes us stronger as we take time to look around, observing that there are lots of folks whose challenges are far greater. Helping them helps us.  

Often overlooked are those with a range of hidden disabilities that never get talked about; never get the attention they deserve so that those who suffer in silence can get the help they need, whether in a clinical setting with a therapist or within the community, joining a group of people who, over time, will become their friends. A few within that group will become their ‘go to’ person when they need to share how they feel. 

Long before COVID  packed us up into our homes, if we were fortunate enough to have one, there was a simmering misconception about people who are different. Their isolation wasn’t just rooted in COVID lock-down. For many, living on the fringes has been lifelong and it took COVID to soundly lock them into their letterbox lives.

In the words of Mr. Rogers, “You are a very special person. There is only one just like you. There’s never been anyone exactly like you in the history of the earth, and there never will be again. And people can like you just because you’re you.”

Keeping that in mind, it’s vital that we be aware of our words when we speak about disability and what it means to be ‘disabled by’. Hidden disability plague millions, from the very young to the very old, and the impact of something we might view as insignificant, social awkwardness, for example, can encroach many aspects of daily life to the point of paralyzing the person trying to cope with such a condition. We can become conduits to better coping for those in need.

It won’t be long until students return to school, with many youngsters taking their first steps on the path of scholarly pursuits. Among them will be students who are painfully shy, to the point of becoming physically or emotionally unwell at the very thought of having to interact in a room full of people. Their pain is real. To ensure that it doesn’t become a life-long disability, educators are encouraged to listen, to hear, to pay attention to subtle cues that it’s time to step back. Don’t let your own prejudice become your disability.

Carla MacInnis Rockwell is a freelance writer and disability rights advocate living outside Fredericton, NB with Miss Lexie, a rambunctious Maltese and Mr. Malcolm, a boisterous Havanese. She can be reached via email at Carla MacInnis Rockwell

Volunteer fire departments need your help

Front row L to R: Heather Sampson, Stewart Smith, Robert Foreman, Shawn Sampson, Mark Logan Back row L to R: Trevor Tomilson, Stephanie Tomilson, Marc Wates, Sarah English, Dave Harder, Jim O’Neill, Anouchka O’Hara

On Wednesday night, 6 July, I climbed into bed to watch a bit of television. Then I heard a really odd sound; it sounded like a faulty water pump. I had an ‘oh my God’ moment, worried that something had gone wrong with the pump in the utility room downstairs -- the joys of country bumpkin living. It was getting louder, though I resisted the urge to get up.  Something, somewhere was pumping water. It seemed to go on forever.  My cerebral palsy brain is challenged by noise and light when I try to sleep and stay asleep, so I wear a room darkening mask. But shutting out that interminable noise was a challenge. Finally, sleep did overtake me.

Morning came and I got the dogs up and out; the puppy to their pen off the dining room and the old diva dog on the tie out line off the garage, to wander around the driveway. That’s when I saw it – the Stanley Volunteer Fire Department’s command vehicle, with light flashing. I then got on my trusty mobility scooter to go down the driveway to inquire as to what was going on. I learned there had been two structure fires, happening within hours of each other and not far away from each other. Curious.

The fire department makes use of the pond in front of my home to fill their tankers. There were numerous fills that night and I’m glad they had such ready access to water, for without it they’d not have been able to do their job.

I had a chance to learn more about the incident from my friend and volunteer fire fighter, Stewart Smith.

According to Stewart, “they spent all night on those two fires. It came in from 459 dispatch around 12:15a.m. as a single structure fire; about two hours into it there was a second structure fire, just up the road. The Departments involved were Stanley, Nashwaak Valley, Upper Miramichi, Keswick Valley and Juniper all contributing apparatus and manpower through mutual aid. It’s a tough job but one that get into your blood.”

Stewart and most of the volunteers are no longer young. The same is true within the ranks of all manner of volunteer agencies and organizations that are part of the fabric of many communities across the province, across the country. Volunteer services such as rural fire departments are vital to sustaining a quality of life that is made safer because of their presence. Complacency creeps in with losing sight of the reality that numbers of volunteers are decreasing while demands for boost in numbers is increasing.

To improve access to training to become a volunteer firefighter, courses are now available online as adjunct to in-personal sessions. More than 150 hours of training is required for certification. 

According to New Brunswick’s Justice and Public Safety Department, NB has approximately 5,000 volunteer firefighters who have taken on the arduous task of protecting the province through a range of hazardous and potentially life-altering events, from house fires and motor vehicle accidents to wildfires and medical assistance. Without them we would be less safe. Many of us are aging out of lots of roles that defined our lives within our community. That is no more evident than in the service industry, the benefits of which are shared by everyone and when their numbers are reduced, that impacts the community as a whole. 

Imagine stopping what you’re doing to rush off into the life of someone in crisis as they watch their house burning; their home, the stories of their lives up in smoke.  The reward for volunteer firefighters is knowing that they made a difference. When one joins the ranks of the volunteer firefighter, s/he’s letting their community know that they have what it takes to make a difference.

It’s important, though that we all do our part. If we heat our home with wood, it’s vital we maintain the flue with cleaning each fall season before first burning. Book your appointment today. Also important is to check appliance cords and electrical connections for other devices for wear and tear; replace as necessary to avoid a preventable tragedy. We’re ‘in it’ together, after all.

Carla MacInnis Rockwell is a freelance writer and disability rights advocate living outside Fredericton, NB with Miss Lexie, a rambunctious Maltese and Mr. Malcolm, a boisterous Havanese. She can be reached via email at Carla MacInnis Rockwell