When senior loneliness is
more than the holiday blues
BY JOANNA IGNATIADES
RN AND CARE COORDINATOR
WITH THE NOT-FOR-PROFIT
VNSNY CHOICE HEALTH PLANS
The holidays are a time of happiness
and celebration for many of us.
Families get together to exchange season’s
greetings and ring in the New
Year with generations of friends and
family coming from far and wide. For
most, it’s a festive time. But, especially
for older members of our community
who don’t get out as much as they once
did, or who may have recently lost a
loved one, things may not feel cheery
at all.
As a health professional who works
to help New Yorkers live safely and
independently in their own homes as
they age, I’ve seen fi rsthand how loneliness
can trigger the Holiday Blues.
In my role as a registered nurse and
care coordinator for VNSNY CHOICE
Health Plans, my roster often includes
older patients with limited mobility
and multiple chronic health conditions
that keep them indoors when others
are out shopping, celebrating and
visiting with family.
Holiday rituals can be especially
daunting for someone who fi nds herself
alone after celebrating the holidays for
decades with a beloved spouse who has
recently died. It’s important to honor
the past, but also to be open to new possibilities,
and to take things one step
at a time. Everyone handles loss differently,
and if you know a neighbor
or have a loved one who is alone at the
holidays this year—a phone call to say
hello could bring welcome, and unex-
pected joy.
Here are a few guidelines that we
hope will help increase awareness of
potential triggers for the holiday blues
and offer simple strategies for inspiring
good cheer—in yourself, or someone
you love!
Helping Yourself Helps Others
Loneliness is more prevalent this
time of year. Take your mind off your
own troubles by helping others in
need. If you can manage to squeeze it
in, spend a few hours volunteering at
a local soup kitchen, or donate a collection
of canned goods or second-hand
clothes or toys to a favorite charity.
Even visiting residents at a nursing
home or children’s hospital, or calling
someone you know who is struggling
can make a big difference in your outlook—
and theirs. Develop an “Attitude
of Gratitude” for the things that truly
matter. Your gift of spending time with
those who are shut in or hospitalized
this holiday can be the best medicine
for both you and the receiver.
Be Jolly, But In Moderation
There is nothing as enticing as a
colorful row of holiday cookies and
treats, but all that sugar and carbohydrates
can zap your energy and then
your spirits—especially if combined
with too much alcohol. We suggest
sticking to healthy eating patterns
during the holidays, emphasizing lean
meats, leafy vegetables, whole grains
and fruit. Avoid driving after indulging
and be aware of any medications
that may be contraindicated with alcohol.
Holiday Traditions
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, DECEMBER 28 28 -JANIARY 3, 2019 BTR
PELHAM PARKWAY TOY GIVEAWAY
The Pelham Parkway Neighborhood Association and Pelham Parkway Vision cohosted
a Holiday Toy Giveaway on Saturday, December 15 at 735 Lydig Avenue. PPNA
thanked Pelham Vision for donating toys and its assistance in giving every child who
attended the event a toy for the holiday season.
(Above) PPNA’s president Edith Blitzer (3rd from l) and her board members welcomed
Santa. Photo courtesy of PPNA
This is the season of tradition –
whether it’s attending services, watching
holiday classics, or spending time
with family and loved ones. Homebound
seniors may not be able to attend
church or synagogue. A great way
to combat this is to do your best to take
advantage of technology; many services
and holiday classics are now on
TV or the internet. Select a few shows
or movies and write down the times
and channels to remind those that may
have memory loss. If family lives far
away, help shorten the distance by setting
up Skype or other Internet tools
so that your loved one can see and connect
with relatives and grandchildren
face to face.
If what you are experiencing is
more than a transient case of the blues
and is associated with a persistent
feeling of sadness over a long period of
time as well as loss of interest in things
that previously brought you joy, notify
your primary care physician as soon
as possible.
To learn more about health plans
that help elder New Yorkers live more
comfortably, safely and independently
in their own homes, visit www.VNSNYCHOICE.
org or call 1-855-AT CHOICE
(1-855-282-4642).
Action
Association
BY FRANK V. VERNUCCIO, JR.
There should be greater attention
paid to the comments
made by Washington’s growing
number of hard-left politicians.
Socialism is increasingly
seen as part of the American
political environment. It
is more than just an an economic
philosophy. Because it
involves the centralization of
a key part of a nation’s life, the
use of government power to
enforce its tenets is a major necessity
in achieving its strategies
and goals.
In many ways, this runs
directly contrary to the standard
Constitutional emphasis
on individual rights. But that
is not seen as an obstacle for
those who view that bedrock
document as open to loose interpretation.
The use of overbearing
power to insure the compliance
of those who would stand
in the way of the activities of
leftist governments rather
quickly develops into an habitual
practice. The old USSR,
or today’s Venezuela, are two
of the best known examples,
and they are the rule, not the
exception.
The 2018 midterm elections
brought with it a new generation
of pro-socIalist elected offi
cials. They have not even offi
cially taken offi ce, and their
philosophical proclivity to
suppress dissent has already
taken hold.
It is diffi cult to take many
of Representative-elect Ocasio–
Cortez‘s comments on
substantive issues seriously
due to her rather shaky grasp
of facts. But she is abundantly
clear about her devotion to
socialist policies, and her determination
to execute a ‘fundamental
transformation’ (to
borrow Obama’s phrase) of
America.
True to form for socialists
across the globe, Ocasio–Cortez
has little tolerance for oppostion.
Following an instagram
post by Donald Trump
Jr. criticizing her by pointing
out the defi ciencies of her
political philosophy, she responded,
not with a countervaling
argument or even an
ad hominem attack, but with a
comment on the House’s ability
to issue subponeas. The
message was clear, and consistent
with the history of socialism:
dissent will be punished.
More than just an attack
on individual opponents, the
U.S. left is now focusing on essential
components of the U.S.
government that block their
goals.
Preventing the implementation
of their radical concepts
is the steadfastness of the U.S.
governing structure. As a consequence,
it has become a target.
The practice of basing legal
decisions on law and precedent
limits the ability of biased
judges to push a socialist
agenda. As a result, the radical
9th Circuit has had its results
frequently overturned
by the U.S. Supreme Court.
That explains the extrordinary
vehemence of the left’s
opposition to GOP president-
nominated justices.
A more recent battleground
has been added to the “fundamental
transformation” fi ght.
Based on equal representation
of each state, the U.S. Senate is
a powerful check on the ability
of left-wing dominated jurisdictions
to push their agenda
on the rest of the nation. That
has led to rumblings about
abolishing it. The latest assault
comes from former Rep.
John Dingle, (D-Michigan)
who openly proposed just that
in an Atlantic theatlantic.com
article:
“Abolish the Senate. At a
minimum, combine the two
chambers into one…It will
take a national movement,
starting at the grassroots
level, and will require massive
organizing, strategic voting,
and strong leadership over the
course of a generation. But it
has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?
‘Abolish the Senate.’”
The attempts to reject the
traditional impartiality of
judges and to abolish the Senate
reveal a dramatic, even
if obvious fact: socialism is
wholly incompatible with the
American form of government,
and also with basic American
culture and traditions. Socialists
recognize that reality, but
it does not appear that others
do.
Indeed, even some of those
who rather blithely claim to
support socialism are unaware
of its true nature, believing it
to be just an enhanced form of
liberalism. That’s its greatest
strength: the ability to hide its
true nature from the masses.
/www.VNSNY-CHOICE.org
/www.VNSNY-CHOICE.org
/www.VNSNY-CHOICE.org
/theatlantic.com