Re: What is happening around you, around the world? Thread #3

[GuardianAngel]

@Sprite uggh. I know how you feel. I'm hoping to go to Cuba in Nov if I'm lucky enough to get vaccinated by that time and it's safe to do so.

Enjoy your time off.

[Norcalgal]

@Sprite Enjoy your time off - find something new to do, even with COVID! Just hope it's not shoveling snow!

[albean99]

I guess you've all heard by now about what's going in Texas. It's been crazy around here and the snow's the least of it. Our houses aren't built to take the cold that we've had this week and as we've all heard by now, the energy plants and wind turbines weren't winterized. There are so many people still suffering from power outages and now water's a problem, partly because we're all dripping water from our faucets so our pipes don't freeze. Our oldest had their laundry room pipes burst so they don't have water except from the neighbors. At least they have power which is great since they have a baby. There are warming stations in all the cities but I'm not sure if everyone can get there. We haven't gone anywhere the whole time and are glad we shopped going into it because the store shelves are pretty empty.

We've been lucky to not have any power outage but did have a pipe freeze. Luckily my husband was able to thaw it without bursting so we have water. It's very cold still so we're not past it yet. It won't be above freezing until tomorrow. Internet's been a problem for a lot of people in addition to everything else. We'll soon be past this but I hope they've learned some things. The question is, will there be change?

[GuardianAngel]

It's absolutely horrible and totally preventable what's happening in Texas. I can't imagine going that long without the basic necessity of hydro heat and water.

I experienced that for 3 days back in the 80's in a major snow and ice storm that took down hydro lines. I was fortunate at the time to have a log burning fireplace. We basically lived in that room and was not inconvenienced in any way. If hydro goes out now during a storm, it's usually back on within a couple of hours at the most, and usually due to downed lines fallen tree's or an accident.

The wind farm in my area is the 2nd largest in my province. I don't recall ever there being an issue with them and our winters are very harsh. We are just getting out of a polar vortex with wind chills of -20F.

I'm glad to see so many people are helping each other.  

[albean99]

Apparently, there's some kind of treatment that causes the snow to slide off the wind turbines that they chose not to do. I heard that they did better than expected.

[GuardianAngel]

I read the turbines are not the real problem as it's only 7% of the source, it was the frozen pipes that were not weatherized and since Texas are on their own grid they can't get it from anywhere else. In either cases, it's the lack of weatherizing, which I still don't understand why it wasn't done.

FEMA has delivered generators but they're sitting at some airport waiting for instructions?

Hopefully there is a lot of help coming from all sources. So sad.

No, Wind Farms Aren’t the Main Cause of the Texas BlackoutsThe bulk of the power loss in Texas came from natural gas suppliers, according to regulators, as pipelines froze,
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/17/climate/texas-blackouts-disinformation.html

[Sprite]

Well I had to shovel about a foot and a half of snow this weekend in London. So much so that I got sick. I had to call work because if we have any symptoms of Covid we have to go get tested and are not to go in. I got swabbed yesterday and am now waiting for results. Feel miserable and I had a ton of stuff to do before my holiday.

Heaven knows what I would be like if my neighbour and his son weren't there to help me.

Hope everyone gets their power and heat back ASAP.

[GuardianAngel]

@Sprite get better soon. That sounds awful. Hopefully you're negative.

Same thing for me, a ton of snow. I could barely clear off my front porch, there was so much and it was so heavy and drifted to my screen door I could hardly open it to get out.

I'm so lucky to have guys that snowblow. One did the sidewalk on my side of the street and my neighbour always does my driveway. Then of course the city snowplough comes by and we're back at square one. He did that too for me.

There are a lot of sad stories coming up on Twitter from Texas. Just heartbreaking.

[sdmom]

Hope everyone/everything will get better!

Since I am here, I have a question and want to see hear from you ladies.
I have said I am Asian American and in our culture, children are supposed to take care of elderly parents at home. We just recently moved my husband’s wheelchair bound parents to a nursing home after more than 2 years of them staying home with 2 full time helpers. They have dementia and are not happy of moving to a facility, not staying with their own kids, they feel they are being abandoned and their children have changed for the worse.

How about your culture? Is this a culture thing? How do elderly parents react to being moved to a nursing home?

[GuardianAngel]

@sdmom totally my culture. I my parents immigrated from Italy. I sadly lost my dad years ago but my mother going on 89 next month definitely feels she should move in with one of us if the time comes. We are very fortunate that she is still in her own little house, and knock on wood is doing pretty good. However, she gets mad when she hears of her Italian friends going into nursing homes and doesn't understand why the kids don't take her in. I'm not sure what she expects, people to quit their jobs? How can you function?

We keep telling her, I wouldn't want the responsibility of her living in my home, and she leaves in the middle of the night because of dementia. Or not being physically able to look after her. A nursing home where specialized people can take care of her, is the safest place for them.

We have had several cases just in the last couple of years, where sadly missing person's, with dementia have been found deceased. A family member went through this for 10 years with her mother. Pure hell for the rest of the family. She couldn't put her in a home because of the Italian culture. Finally when she tried to leave in the middle of the night because "a car was waiting to take her to Italy" she finally got her into a home. I know another family member where they were taking turns looking after their mother at each children's homes. They get confused quicker imo. It's far to hard to look after someone with those health issues, plus it's very difficult on the family. I have two other friends, who went through hell because they kept their mother in their own homes far too long because the "didn't want to leave" They are not able to make decisions on what's best for them, so it doesn't matter if they don't want to leave.

I've seen enough over the last few years, and I'm not going to do it, for my mothers sake. I would never expect my son to look after me should the time come.

My mother tries to put the guilt trip on us. Saying things like we want to lock her up and throw away the key. If she is not capable of looking after herself, she is going into a nursing home and I wouldn't feel guilty. We care for her a lot but she is just wrong in her thinking. This isn't Italy where you had friends and family all living together, or near each other that can help.

[Norcalgal]

@albean99 Guess mother nature didn't get the message about 'Don't mess with Texas'! But I feel for you - having been through natural disasters where we don't have electricity, internet and because of our well, no water either. It certainly makes you appreciate them when you've got them. The alarming thing to me is how many Texans pay the going rate for electricity and that rate has skyrocketed, over paying a higher but flatter rate.

@Sprite Dang - I was hoping you wouldn't shovel snow. Sure hope your test comes back negative. When do you get your first vaccine?

@sdmom @GuardianAngel Caring for elders is hard - whether they are in their home (my MIL), in a family member's home (my grandmother) or in a communal living center (my mom). All the options have pluses and minuses. If you and your family members are at peace with the decision as to where to spend your loved one's final days, then your decision is a good one. There is no perfect solution.

My grandmother, who died at age 94, would not go into a 'home' as she called it - it was beneath her and insisted on living with my aunt. Lo and behold, after many falls and near misses, she had to go into a nursing home as there was no where else that could meet her needs for transfer, etc. I used to visit her weekly to give my aunt a break - it wasn't pleasant, it was duty that took me there. My MIL lives alone and complains all the time about being lonely but won't consider Assisted Living. She is one fall away from being put in a nursing home. She came to visit us last summer and I was on pins and needles as she wobbles while walking down the hall. She wouldn't let me assist her in showering yet I stood outside her door hoping not to hear the glass shatter from a fall. My mother lived to be 91 and began her slide into dementia after a fall and subsequent broken hip when she was 86. It happened in a state where she knew no one, as she was visiting for a wedding. She had to have surgery and live in skilled nursing for 4-6 weeks. None of her children could be with her, although we called every day. My brother flew with her out to CA to live with us while she continued her rehab, as she was living in independent living in a senior community in yet another state. I couldn't leave her at home alone for more than an hour - I hired a senior babysitter if we were gone for the evening. The entire time she wanted to 'go home', even though I explained it couldn't be to her apartment. She still wanted to go. I flew with her to the state where her home was and we moved her into assisted living that day. Three weeks later, she fell and broke her pelvis, which required yet another stay in a strange place. She never really acclimated to assisted living mentally (meaning lots of complaining to her family) but the nursing staff loved her as she didn't complain to them. Finally, she broke her pelvis again and it was the final straw. Treatment for a broken pelvis is either surgery (if severe enough) or physical therapy and pain management. But her dementia made it difficult to remember PT instructions and the pain increased. She was placed in hospice and died within a couple weeks. Her final days were spent in an in-patient hospice center and it was lovely. I know death can be beautiful, as hers was.  

[Norcalgal]

Anyone get vaccinated yet? In California, the state gives guidance as to who is eligible but each county can modify it as they deem necessary for local conditions. The county where I live is still vaccinating the 75+ crowd, along with health care workers and others who are considered essential. Because we own a ranch and have ag workers, we moved into the eligible category. So last week, we received our first dose (Pfizer). Lots of counties in CA are vaccinating anyone over 65 but that won't happen until sometime in March here. We offered to pay any worker's wages for time lost due to having to leave work.

It's been interesting to see who is considered essential - if you farm cannabis, you can qualify as ag workers. There was a group of 35 people from a manufacturing facility that made herbal medicinal teas that qualified as essential health care workers. I try not to judge but am glad so many want to be vaccinated.

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