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Image provided by: Freeport Memorial Library
4 . » J . V* • \• L _«*_ ■ i> » «*• just writ© >f SL ipted teek- from Went 3phie centJy , from dward I Vice SALE, orical odnis* -O u r Ve got W asd you to : today e b oa twork . •'aats to please cake or mail to HOME ALONE,..Years ago, maga- ziaes ran occasional articles vkhich attempted to put a price tag on the tasks that the average housew ife accom plished. Lbted were such physical chores as cooking, cleaning, ironing and chauf- feuring. Inevitably, the final tally was greater than some m i ^ t have anticipat ed, but certainly not a salary commen surate with a )ob outside the home. Several weeks ago, my 88-year-oId mother broke her hip and in the course o f num erous hours in em ergency rooms, physical therapy areas, and hos pital rooms, I observed and started to calculate. The real worth and value of the at- home mom - or dad or son or d a u ^ tet or spouse - b not primarily In the value of those mundane tasks which can be easily “out-sourced\ (restaurants, fast foods, dry cleaners, taxis and car ser vices are commonplace today). Rather the value of the at-home caregiver is primarily ia being there. On our little dead end block with only 10 houses, 1 observe a daily rou tine of juggling time by families who have young children as well as those that include the elderly. One young working couple with a newborn, in the course of a year, first h id a relative w a tching their child before be^nning day care. Still, when ever the child is sick, I see a grandma on the s«nc. But even more difficult than being there for a child who will eventually outgrow the need for constant supervi sion, is the problem of being there for the elderly. My son-in-law, always sociable and with scores of friends and acquain tances, answered “Yes.\ My daughter, however, disagreed. She noted that they had lots of friends and family. Their families, however, were not nearby, and their friends, like them, consisted of w orking couples. And so, wanting to be available when her husband first began dialysis treat ment with its seemingly endless initial side effects and need for fine tuning, my daughter would leave for work very early in the morning (she works for the government which allows a variety of flexible wotking anangements). She*d then drive borne to take her husband to dialysis, wait a while till he seemed sta- iized, go bacin ^ ? o r k n « a v ^ v o r luo drive him home, ind then go to law school w here she b an evening student Locally, our family b more fortunate. Since I work only part-time and have extremely understanding employers and colleagues, I was able to put that part of my life on hold so 1 could be there for my mother and my extremely-worried 89-year-old dad. But others are not so fortunate. Too many elderly are now borne alone - frail, frightened and In danger. They can’t read the directions on the medica tions they’re taking: they can’t hear properly when people speak to them, in person or on the phone. They cannot walk safely, particularly in the evening if they must get up from bed, and they arc forgetful. The White House is initiating a call for quality day care for children - a commitment much needed and long overdue. But equally important is a study of the quality of care for the eiderly. W h at is available For those frail elderly who do not belong in nursing homes and who cannot afford the high cost o f the assisted living establish ments now coming on the market? How should people prepare for their retirement? Should they save even more to have a huge nest egg to pay for need ed services or will no amount of sav ings ever be enough? Should they pur chase insurance for long-term care or should they instead eat, drink and be m e rry, spending down before their golden years? As it stands now, 1 am convinced that (here are more elderly home alone in dangerous situations than young chil dren. As baby boomers age, there will be even more frail elderly. If w'e w-ere writing a magazine article on the value of the at-home housewife, perhaps we could compute the cost ihb way. N u rsbg homes in our area cost on the average of S6,0(X) per month. Assisted living residences, depending on facili ties and services, range from $2,000 to S4.000 a month and up. The cost of an aide (not a nurse) from local agencies b S l l per hour ($8 for the aid and $3 for the agency). If that were computed, the cost would be $264 per day; $7,920 per month, and $95,040 per year. Now, that’s a salary that more accu rately represents the value of the at- home caregiver for “being there.” le t t e r s t o t h e e d i t o r Support the Safety Bond Act To The Leader: As you are awaxe tbe School Facility and Safety Bond Act o f 1997 will be on the ballot as a prc^osal on November 4. The approval of these bonds will allow for critical projects related to construc tion, expansion and modernization of public s ^ o o l facilities. This S2.4 billion Statewide bond will provide money for the single purpose o f funding capital projects, in order to provide school buildings that will promote the health and safety of school children and pro vide for educational technology for grades kindergarten through twelfth grade. The following b a short list of some of the projects that could be funded: a. Capital projects to address serious health and safety issues. b. Capital projects to expand physical capacity in s ^ o o b . c. Capital projects to preside accessi bility for the handicapped. d. Capita] projects to remedy emer gency or environmental situations which arise. d. Capital projects related to educa tional technology. This investmeci in school facilities will yield major returns for our students. These returns include modem, healthy and safe learning environments. Modem fa c ilities such as technologically equipped libraries that su^xirt the learn ing covironmenl for students, savings in capital construction cost from proper building nalnlena&ce and repair and schools that contribute to a hehlthy lifestyle. We urge you to support this prcposal on November 4, and in doing so, to sup port our children. Josephine N. Moffett Superintendent of Schoob Dante Grover President, Board of Educatioa w n G 'S, U ■< I P I rrt s > a t balcJwIn lltorary Lunchtime travel: Laos After many years of virtual isolation from the outside world, Laos b awaken ing from its socialist slumber and admit ting foreign visitors - though they are kept to a trickle. Irms and Bob MandeL two of the lucky ones, w ill present a slide program documenting their three- week odyssey on Thursday, November 13. at 12:30 p.m. Hearing tests Free hearing tests for adults and chil dren o f all ages will be given on Friday, November 7, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Skilled personnel from A d elphi U n iversity, Hy W einberg Center of Communication Disorders wilt perform hearing tests for those who suspect they have a hearing loss. S parac O'L ieberman R ealty The Freeport Area Real Estate Specialists Serving the Commurtify /or over 35 years Residential.* Commercial Sales and Rentals lur little to our FREEPORT RENTALS Studio-CVaa-$600 2 Bedroom - Mint. Nercr Lived la-$W0 2 Bedrooess - Pn. House - W/D - $ 1100 3 rooens • Pvt II ease. laciadesl'tl-SlZOO 329 Guy Lombardo Ave. jf r e e p o r t . NY 3 7 8 - 2 5 2 5 CAROL SPARACO, BROnr.K. WHEN FREEPORT NEEDED HELP ED OPPENHEIMER FOUGHT FOR FREEPORT • ED OPPENHEIMER is helping us clean up Mllburn Pond to preserve our environment. ■ ED OPPENHEIMER has obtained stop signs and stop lights around the Freeport High School to protect our students. • ED OPPENHEIMER got crosswalks painted by the Atkinson Elementary School on Seaman Avenue. • ED OPPENHEIMER was very instrumental in getting the incorporated villages of Nassau County, including Freeport, to share in sales tax monies. • ED OPPENHEIMER has gotten action on your requests for assistance from his legislative office without asking for party affiliation. • ED OPPENHEIMER is working hard and has been speaking for you in the legislature. Keep ED OPPENHEIMER as youi voice in the Nassau County Legislature, fighting for Freeport and you. D o n ' t l o s e your v o i c e to an echo. Say l E S to ED OPPENHEIMER VOTE ROW A, D OR E NOVEMBER 4, 1997 P M Fflr t r Fnan* O* t d O n Mir»«iiw
