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The Citizen, 2001-06-27, Page 7"a""""ma gthilkAii"lakg111 g2OMMUNITY ERVICES P.O. Box 100 Phone: 26 Jordan Drive (519) 357-3010 Belgrave, Ontario Fax: NOG 1E0 (519) 357-3143 COMMUNITY CARE ACCESS CENTRE FOR HURON Do you need.., information about community resources? health or support services in -the home? assistance in placement to a Long-Term Care Facility? Call us at ... WE CAN HELP! (519) 482-3411 or 1-800-267-0535 I We Deliver Your Freedom with: • Home Oxygen • Wheelchairs • Electric Scooters • Hospital Beds • Bathroom Equipment II Electric Reclining Lift Chairs MEDICHAIR Canada's Wellness Sore. MEDichair MED-E-OX HOME RESPIRATORY & MEDICAL EQUIPMENT 282 Suncoast Drive 1793 3rd Avenue W. Goderich, ON N7A 4K4 Owen Sound, ON N4K 6Y2 Tel. (519) 524-2020 Tel. (519) 371-8001 Fax (519) 524-2222 Fax (519) 371-5951 Toll-Free 1-800-265-5500 Tol I -F ree 1-800-997-9951 THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27, 2001.1., Seniors Neatness advice from long-marrieds to newl eds By Carol McDonnell Many children or grandchildren will be sashaying down the aisle this month with stars of love in their eyes. Hopefully they have found some- one whose personality they can live with as they grow through the years. But have they checked the mess level of their future mate'? Can they live with that forever? If the bride is a neatnik and her intended is Felix from The Odd Couple [or vice versa], there could `Change' Life is full of changes. We go from grade to high school, from job to job and we move from one home to another. Our bodies go through big changes as well. For women between the ages of 45 - 59, one of the biggest changes occurs when they enter menopause. For many women, the prospect of embarking on this change of life can add undue stress to their daily rou- tine. This need not be the case how- ever, as the menopausal period is a natural process that every women will experience. Through better understanding of what to expect and how to handle the coming changes, the menopause experience can be made easier. An important first step to under- standing menopause is to understand the three stages of menopause — per- imenopause, menopause and post- menopause. The first phase, perimenopause, is Volunteers The United Nations has named 2001 the International Year of the Volunteer in recognition of the important contribution volunteers make to our society. In Canada, 7.5 million people (approximately 31.4 per cent of the total population) volunteer their time and skills to organizations such as the Alzheimer Society of Huron County. There has been a marked growth in volunteerism in the past decade, particularly in the non-prof- it sector. Volunteers can do so many things to help in the fight againSt Alzheimer's disease. They .can become members of the Huron chap- ter ($15 annually), help organize a Coffee BreakTM the society's nation:- wide fundraiser, assist in the office, raise community awareness, and offer support to families and people living with Alzheimer's disease. One service provided by the Alzheimer Society of Huron County, Special Steps, trains volunteers and matches them with people living with Alzheimer disease or another form of dementia. Volunteers spend time on a regular basis with desig- nated companions with Alzheimer disease. When weather permits, this involves walking together. In times of inclement weather, the volunteer may spend time visiting with their companion indoors or walking in an alternate environment. Special Steps provides a volunteer well be problems ahead. After all, there is just so much you can change in your spouse's habits. I'm not talking about dirt. Clean unsticky floors, a germ-free kitchen and washrooms are a must for healthy living. Rather let's talk about the piles of clothes, mail, newspa- pers and books that lie about the house. When walking through the house means -tripping over these piles, something drastic has to hap- pen. Hubby and I are experts in dealing with this as we are both rather messy. Here are some. of our coping strategies. Try to entertain friends or family every two weeks. Not only do you get to visit with these dear peo-. the result . of the body producing smaller amounts of the hormones, estrogen and progesterone. This stage can last anywhere from one to nine years,- with the median being four to five. During perimenopause, the ovaries may not release eggs some months and the levels of hormones may swing dramatically. Given that all women are different, the range and starting age of per-- menopause varies; most commonly it begins in a women's early 40s. This is the time when a woman will start noticing some of the early symptoms of menopause such as irregular periods, hot. flushes and mood swings. Perimenopause is followed by menopause. Menopause occurs when a woman has not had a men- strual period for 12 consecutive months, generally between the ages of 50 and 55, with the average age being 51. service to improve the quality of life for the persori .with Alzheimer dis- ease through activity and compan- ionship. Special Steps also provides caregivers, usually a family member, with a much-needed break: Special Steps -volunteers provide a tremen- dous service to not only the person with the disease and their family, but also provide Help for Today, Hope for Tomorrow. - The Alzheimer Society of Huron County invites you to become involved with our organization. Volunteering is not a one-way street. For the Alzheimer Society, volun- teerism means expanding its mission to improve the quality of life of peo- rile but this is an excuse to tidy up - before things really get out of hand. Before your guests arrive, leave open in a prominent place, decorat- ing magazines which feature relaxed casual rooms with artistically arranged piles on coffee tables-sinii- lar to yours. .Soon everyone will want to follow your style. Paint bedrooms or shampoo the carpets in other less public rooms, on a regular basis so that everything has to be taken out of the room. Perhaps some of the mess can be recycled or thrown out rather than returned to this room. When our adult son returned to our empty nest the balance of mess was affected. But it wasn't a big ul For some women this can be a very emotionally and physically dif- ficult time. -- One way of making this phase eas- ier is through the_ use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) prod- ucts. During the-time between peri- menopause and menopause, a woman will encounter many uncom- fortable and embarrassing changes such as night sweats, hot flushes and breakthrough bleeding. HRT can help relieve and control these menopausal symptoms. Postmenopause is. the period of time following menopause. Most women will live nearly one third of their lives in the postmenopausal phase. It is during this period that the permanent loss of estrogen can lead to serious health conditions such as osteoporosis. HRT can help to prevent these conditions, offering the opportunity to lead a healthy and active lifestyle in the years following menopause. ple with Alzheimer disease or relat- ed dementias and their caregivers and for the volunteers, it is hoped that the experience goes beyond sharing time and skills but also enriches their lives. For more information on volunteer opportunities, Alzheimer Disease, or services, contact the Alzheimer Society of Huron County at 482- 1482 or 1-800-561-5012. Check out The Citizen's WEBSITE at www.northhuron.on.ca deal. He just closed the door on his own messy room, and we would just park his droppings of clothing etc., from the house, outside his door. Lyn Hamilton's song from her C.D. Lynoleum "Come and live in my messy houSe with me. It's June so I guess we can take --down the Christmas tree", is -a little beyond my personal level of riteiness. But what the heck. I've just blown my chance at winning the Huron County Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval anyway. So have the about-to-be-married couple arrived at an understanding? Does cleanliness is next to godliness also include tidiness? can be stress support Soc.'s mission Milestone William Turnbull of Brussels, centre, received his 50-year Past Masters pin at St. John's Lodge, Brussels on Wednesday, June 13. Turnbull joined the Lodge in 1944 and served as master in 1950. He also served as District Deputy Grand Master of the North Hruon District in 1972. Included among the Masonic brethren present were a nephew and brother-in-law. Pictured, Gerald Gibson, left, and Donald Lawless. (Photo submitted)