Zooming Right Along

For many of us  Zoom has lately been the only real connection to the outside world. And so to PAFC it seemed important to assist isolated older adults unfamiliar with Zoom to use it to communicate with family, friends, service providers and fellow travelers. We are now in the midst of a short term project, funded by the Larimer County Office on Aging, to identify isolated individuals who have yet to meet up with this free, easy to use program and get them on board.

We are in the process of showing folks how to subscribe to Zoom and then demonstrating its use through brief Zoom classes for the totally uninitiated. We are matching individuals up with volunteer neighbors/caregivers/friends who will attend classes with them and be available for ongoing support when needed. While access to wifi is essential, having the right equipment is not. Part of the grant enabled us to purchase a limited number of Kindle Fire notebooks to distribute to those who are unable to purchase their own devices.

If you or anyone you know is interested in participating as a volunteer (no expertise required, just a kind heart and interest in learning) or  recipient, more information is available on the PAFC website at https://www.pafclarimer.org/tech-project-info.  Our mission is that no one remain isolated from the outside world unless they choose to be.


By: Partnership for Age-Friendly Communities

A Happy Mother's Day

It’s not even mid afternoon and already I’ve had an amazingly wonderful Mother’s Day—one of the best I can remember.

It began with a Zoom gathering with my two sons and two daughters, ages 55 through 60. I could not be more proud of them. They have produced six granddaughters and six grandsons, 11 of them between 21 and 31 and a “caboose,” who will be 15 this summer.

This morning my kids each shared the good things that have grown out of the lifestyle they have been living for the last couple of months. Most of their children have returned home and are working or studying remotely. The families have been having a blast!. They play cards, piece together enormous puzzles, cook, garden, do crafty things, and run, bike, golf, and hike together.

Fortunately, none of them have lost their jobs though there has been a pay cut, and there are changes afoot. One had to furlough 200 people. Painful. Another is investing in a farm produce-food truck business. And two are looking at new opportunities—in a law firm and in an online teaching position.

They report sleeping a little later, learning to “go slow,” spending less time in their cars, and gaining new insights into work activities, sorting out those that are the most important and letting other things go.

To one degree or another, all of them are extroverts who thrive on their relationships with others. But for now, they are thriving on being at home and enjoying their offspring.

It will be interesting to see how this episode will change, and perhaps enrich, their lives.

Here they are 50 years ago!

By: Libby James

Avoiding the Risks

It seems as we 'open up' to more potential exposure to this virus we are to be increasingly dependent on our own judgement. Walk into any public arena and it is clear how widely varying those judgements are. Even in my own home. Several days ago I announced my attention to return to an exercise class which I dearly miss. I know that the trainer is taking every precaution including limiting the number of students to a few who know each other and have shown no symptoms, sanitizing the area, creating the appropriate physical distances.

This morning my husband Terry forwarded me this link to an article about what is risky and what is not so risky as you might have thought and why. Very helpful information. But in addition to wanting me to be informed I think he also wanted me to re-consider my first public activity beyond grocery shopping. I have been sneezing for weeks and just the description of what happens to a sneeze was enough to change my mind about exposing/terrifying my friends even though I have no other symptoms. I also realize that he and I need to consider each other's individual concerns. If one of us becomes ill, the other is likely to become ill as well. Apparently contagion occurs before symptoms are obvious. When you live with someone the risks you take are no longer entirely up to you.

I really do miss that class.


https://www.erinbromage.com/post/the-risks-know-them-avoid-them By: Bonnie Shetler

Conversations with my cat

Living alone during the pandemic is challenging to say the least. Introvert though I am, I find I need to be with people from time to time to nourish my spirit. Zoom is great, but it's just not the same as in person. So I find myself talking to my cat, Shadow. He is 15 years old, a gray ball of fur who sits on my lap just about every time I sit down. I tell him what's happening and he looks at me with his catly stare, rarely responding. Sometimes, he starts washing himself vigorously. Inviting me to stop talking? Then, later, he will begin meowing at me. He has a wide repertoire of meows, from plaintive to demanding, and I can often interpret them reasonably well. The most puzzling is the silent meow, when he opens his mouth and no sound comes out. What is he trying to tell me? I expect he is asking himself the same question: "What in the world is she yammering about?" Still, we both persist. I look to the day when I can have two-way, in-person conversations with another two-legged creature, but in the meantime, Shadow and I are endeavoring to keep calm and carry on. At least we have each other. By: Barbara F