Ask Joan – Weekly Q and A Column

Q:  My 92 year old mother lives in her home receiving 24 hour care. The two private workers have been with her for 18 months and are very responsible but I still worry. She lives in an area that is rarely in the direct path of a hurricane but often receives residual effects of a…

Q:  I have been widowed for a long time, a good friend is in the same situation. We are left out of some social events because we no longer have a partner. Neither of us really want to get married again but have talked about finding someone we could go out to dinner with and…

Q:  It was with great sadness I learned of the death of Senator McCain. I followed his career for many years. I was in college during the late sixties and watched television reports of the return of our prisoners of war from Vietnam. The Senator was a fighter in many arenas so it was mystifying…

Q:  I graduated with a bachelor’s degree more than 40 years ago. I had a very satisfying career prior to retirement. For a long time I have pondered about going back to school to further my education. No one who has heard me say this has given me any encouragement. The general comment is I…

Q:  My retirement income makes me ineligible for any subsidies or assistance. I still have to be careful and stick to a strict monthly budget since I have minimal savings. My biggest worry is the cost of my electric bill seems to keep going up each year. Do you have any ideas on how to…

Q:  I am a mature woman, I prefer that description rather than saying I am getting old. I am independent and the only instance I need to hire help is in my yard. I admit I have a slight mobility issue but I am not confused and believe I use good judgment. I frequently socialize…

Q:  The other day when I was picking up a prescription the pharmacist asked if I was interested in getting the new Shingles vaccine. He even volunteered to call my physician if I agreed. I had a vaccination for Shingles several years ago after suffering through the rash and I never wanted to have a…

Q:  Two years ago I attended my 50th high school reunion. It was wonderful to reconnect with people I haven’t seen since we graduated. There was a small number of classmates I recognized immediately and the appearance of others had changed dramatically. One common theme was weight gain. Recently my doctor suggested that I should…

Q:  My friend of more than 50 years passed away a few months ago. Her husband is distraught, they were devoted to each other. I stopped to visit with him the other day and he said there wasn’t any reason for him to go on living. I don’t know if he is depressed or really…

Q:  A friend has a sister who resides in a nursing home in another state. She called me the other night and was so upset about the problems she has been having with the facility. Her sister’s clothes consistently do not come back from the laundry, the room is not always clean and on two…