October 15, 2019 —By Frances Kolarek —
Second to its reservoir of fascinating residents, Collington’s greatest attraction is its setting — gardens, lawns, woodlands and a small lake, home to Canada Geese and other wildlife. Spring finds residents crowding out to enjoy Mother Nature’s never-ending cabaret of delights — the first snow drop, the first crocus, the first daffodils. The early green of April trees.
I hop on my scooter, a battery-powered device that goes like the wind, and head out for a ride around our 125-acre campus. Once upon a time, a scooter would have been considered a stigma, a sign that I was a “cripple.” Today, with arthritic knees more common than the other kind, any device that makes walking, or travel, more comfortable is a welcome addition. If some pity me on my scooter, they soon envy my mobility.
Another happy device is the motorized chair that enables many of our residents to go into the dining room and pull up to a table, stop by a bridge game, drop by the Ivy Bar for a glass of wine before dinner and enjoy life as if they were running around on 30-year-old legs. Stigma? Get outta here.
However, there persists a “not ready yet” approach to rollators — walkers — and it’s sad to see people bent over, struggling for balance, while resisting the help a device with wheels and handles can offer. It’s so much easier to flash a smile to a friend when using a walker than when one is struggling along with precarious balance.
Now we come to a different sort of mechanical helper — hearing aids. There is an unfortunate resistance to wearing them. One friend, after cocking an ear and asking me to repeat what I said a number of times, still resists. “Hearing aids? Oh, but they make you look so ‘old.’” And sitting there with a bewildered look on her face and a constant “Hah?” makes her look “young?”
Collington’s audiologist comes once a week to take care of our ear problems, give hearing tests, and suggest appropriate hearing aids. Others go to retail outlets and buy them over the counter. Whatever. When hearing slips away, it’s just good sense to add hearing aids to eye glasses (a help with no stigma attached). Once you’ve got them, you won’t leave home without them.