FOR THE BIRDS -- UPDATE
Simba, the surviving one of two Big Bear Bald Eaglets, has
reached an age when he could make his maiden flight any day now. After
his first flight he is expected to return to the nest, as he will do following each of his practice flights for a week or two before finally departing to seek his fortunes
and fish in the big wide world.
When I tuned in late Saturday afternoon 6/29 Simba was
quietly resting in the nest as a parent was perched nearby surveying the
surrounding wooded area and scenic lake.
Suddenly Simba arose, repeatedly spread his massive wings, flapping them
as he would need to do in flight, hopping about, balancing, evolving into an
airborne short flight-like bounce onto a heavy branch on the nest’s perimeter,
then back to the nest’s center to scrounge about in the twigs seeking snacks
and to prune his feathers.
Just before dusk Shadow, (Simba’s father) flew in presenting
a fish that was enthusiastically received.
Simba was able to feed somewhat independently but continued to accept
being fed occasionally as the two ate together. Later Shadow departed, Jackie (mother) flew in,
rearranging the nest’s small branches. Simba soon appeared desirous of settling down
for the night as darkness closed in. He
moved head first to go under Jackie’s wing as had been the positioning for
sleep when he was younger though he has been sleeping alone for some time. Jackie paused
only briefly, then quickly moved away, grasped a small branch in her beak,
moving it aside. Then she hopped to the
large branch outpost where the parental birds generally have taken turns
standing watch and from which they launch their takeoffs and landings.
Simba could only accept that he was on his own now as
appears he continues being prepared for the separation process, so snuggled down in the
nest all by himself. He’s only a little
over ten weeks old but already more mature in a bird’s life, I guess.
LIVING IN PLACE PERSPECTIVE
Some of us have been dedicated to the concept of living in place
– remaining in our own residences alone or with another as we age. A commitment with the ability to carry out this type of arrangement can be easier said
than done given aging’s challenges. We all may encounter some of these issues sooner
or later.
Some of the unpredictable considerations revolve around
finances when unexpected expenses occur necessitating house and property
upkeep. Health needs due to physical changes may cause us to reconsider our options including recognizing and accepting we have a
need for help. Hiring
dependable, trustworthy, caring, competent assistance from occasional to
regularly scheduled periodic aid, or even a full-time live-in caregiver can
be no easy task, often is a trial and
error process.
The support available in my community and nationally in this
digital age has significantly improved compared to that of only a few decades
ago. The large number of Baby Boomers has
likely prompted increased responsiveness to meeting the needs of older
people. Predictions include an
expectation of high demand for independent living accommodations, more medical personnel and those who can
provide home assistance -- possibly with a shortage of such individuals.
Health need changes with aging can be expected, though to
what degree can be unpredictable. How
likely will a person(s) be able to remain in their single dwelling residence given
all the variables?
What kind of living choices may be prevalent
in the future though may have limited availability for my present generation?
I recently read this HomeHealthCareNews interview with Gerontologist
Dr. Bill Thomas who has directed his energies with innovative ideas about our
older lives you may find of interest. (Dr. Thomas authored a seminal still pertinent book some years ago "What Are Old People For".)
"The houses we’re
creating [at Minka] are really meant to be plugged into sophisticated
approaches to home care, so that we’re able to actually optimize the housing
and care in a way that can help people stay out of the hospital, out of the nursing
home, out of assisted living and live the life they want to live."
THRIVING IN PLACE
I wrote here months ago about starting a
support/conversational/educational group at our local senior center to address
needs, experiences, sources locally and otherwise to facilitate successful
living in place with a group we call Thriving In Place. We haven’t wanted to just live to age in place,
but to thrive in the process. Initial explorations of some of the aging
choices, in addition to living in place which some wanted to learn about have
been explored.
As we’ve ratcheted down to focus on topics related to
remaining in our residences the number of our active participants has dwindled. Individuals simply did not, or were no
longer able, to attend (as a couple
participants noted had occurred due to health issues) to engage in the
specifics to learn and aid one another with information, seek answers to our questions. We are
taking a hiatus for the rest of the summer and disappointingly to me, may not
resume this fall. Living in place blogger’s comments and reports,
as many write about here and on their blogs, will continue to be of interest to
me.
One of the bloggers I follow, Jean, who lives in Michigan and blogs at “TheMisadventures of Widowhood” has been living in place for a number of years, but
in June made a decision to adjust her plan – sell her home and has made a
commitment to move. She is sharing her rationale
for doing so, the experiences she is having – all of which is food for thought
wherever we live. Those interested in learning from her
experiences may want to begin by reading her first post on the topic at the beginning of
June, then subsequent ones – click on this link: “Visualizing My Next ChapterAgain”.
I wonder if others are encountering situations where they are re-examining their living environment choice, may be considering making a change, or think it might have been better if they had chosen a different setting than their current one?
