Up & Coming Weekly

SENIOR CORNER SENIOR CORNER Household Hazards by MARTHA OWEN and SUSAN GUY The tendency to accumulate possessions isn’t a normal part of aging, but seniors who can’t or won’t give up their “stuff” may be putting themselves and their homes at risk, according to experts. “A lifetime accumulation of belongings combined with an influx of daily junk mail, bills, newspapers and magazines can quickly overwhelm seniors who are struggling physi- cally, mentally or emotionally,” said Paul Hogan, CEO and Co-Founder of the Home Instead Senior Care network. Experts say even seniors who simply don’t know how to part with their possessions are vulnerable. The risks are many, from slipping on loose papers to the threat of fire to the health effects of mold and mildew. Clutter can also interfere with family relationships and leave adult chil- dren wondering if the only inheritance awaiting them is a big mess. Too much clutter can pose serious safety risks. Why not suggest de-cluttering as part of a spring home clean-up for older adults? “Spring is a great time for senior care professionals to recommend that family caregivers help seniors de-clutter for their own health and well-being,” Hogan said. Getting rid of possessions is actually a two-step process: sorting and decid- ing, on the one hand, and disposing on the other. That is according to University of Kansas Professor Dr. David Ekerdt, who is coordinating a “household moves” project to determine the role that possessions play in older people’s housing deci- sions. But convincing seniors can be a challenge. Following are strategies if your loved one doesn’t want to let go from Katherine “Kit” Anderson, CPO-CD, president of the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization (NSGCD), and Vickie Dellaquila, certified professional organizer and author of Don’t Toss My Memories in the Trash. • Arrange and cheer small victories. Suppose you spend a short time helping your loved one clear off a table. Celebrate the accomplish- ment together. •Conduct an “experiment.” If your loved one has 150 empty margarine tub containers, suggest donating 15 of those to school for a painting project. Allow some time to go by and ask how she felt giving those up. Chances are she won’t feel as awful as expected. •Gently approach the idea of health and safety. Remind your loved ones that too much clutter can actually keep them from being safe in their homes, which could jeopardize their ability to stay at home. They could trip over papers on the floor or lose bills and medications. •Draft an agreement. Agree to box up unused cloth- ing or tools. Carefully list what is in the box and track that for six months. If your loved one does not use the items in that time, suggest they donate them to a charity. •Consider the control issue. Clutter is all about control, but so is being the one to decide where the stuff goes. Remind your loved ones if they don’t decide where something will go, someone else will. Helping seniors de-clutter is often a matter of time and patience. Older adults might not realize the true hazards for their own safety and well-being. Although not exclusively a problem of seniors, this is often when the issue finally has to be dealt with. In fact, “col- lecting” starts early in life. It takes a long time to gather all that stuff. As you can see, this is not a simple case of sloppy housekeeping or disorganization, but rather a problem that needs to be handled with great care and understanding. MARTHA OWEN & SUSAN GUY Contributing Writers COMMENTS? 484-6200 ext. 222 or editor@upandcomingweekly.com Poland’s North Carolina Hero by D.G. MARTIN Sure, the recent plane crash that killed the president of Poland and a host of other important officials is a great and sad tragedy. But what in the world does it have to do with North Carolina? The connection is a little bit complicated. But bear with me, and you will learn something of the dogged determina- tion of a North Carolina man whose fearlessness in telling the story of an earlier Polish tragedy made him better known in Poland than in his home state here in North Carolina. On April 7, three days before the plane crash, at the invitation of the Polish government, Raleigh resident Allen Paul was part of a delegation that accompanied Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk to meet with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in the Katyn Forest. The Poles and Paul hoped that Putin would finally and formally acknowl- edge Soviet responsibility for the wartime execution of about 20,000 Polish army officers and other leading citizens. Paul’s recently republished book, Katyn: Stalin’s Massacre and the Triumph of Truth, originally published in 1991, doc- uments Soviet responsibility for the executions. It even pro- vides a copy of the order signed by Stalin. It follows several families who lost husbands and fathers in the massacre. Based on interviews and documentation, Paul describes the actual horror of the execution procedure. The prisoner “was pushed down the steps into the basement and shoved inside the execution chamber — all in a matter of moments … [A]n executioner stationed against the wall at the door would have stepped up quickly behind the victim. The muzzle of the Walther [a German-made pistol] was placed six to ten inches behind his head and then fired … [T]he team … neatly stacked the newest victims like cordwood on those already in the pit.” Paul’s book also describes how the United States failed to hold the Soviets accountable for these war crimes. “For good reason. American leaders accom- 20 UCW MAY 5-11, 2010 modated Stalin during the war: the Red Army was bleed- ing the Wehrmacht white long before Allied forces landed at Normandy.” But, according to Paul, “the government clamp-down continued well into 1953. As painful as it may be, the U.S. government should disclose all details concerning how we accommodated Stalin and why we turned back our backs on the Poles — especially after the conflict ended. Then, in good conscience, the U.S. government could call on the Russians to end their feeble attempts to rewrite history and release Katyn records they continue to withhold.” Paul’s tireless efforts to search out and disclose the details of Katyn, his documentation of the details of Soviet crimes and his call on our country to acknowledge its roll in failing to demand accountability have made him a hero to the Poles. Back to the April 7 meeting between the Polish and Russian prime ministers, did Putin finally apologize for the Soviet crimes and for Russian efforts to deflect the blame? No, although Putin did acknowledge and condemn the “cynical lies that have blurred the truth about the Katyn shoot- ings.” But passing by the opportunity to accept full responsi- bility, he continued, “It would also be a lie and manipulation to place the blame for these crimes on the Russian people.” Paul believes that the Russians will have to be much more forthcoming before the Poles can move towards forgiveness. Perhaps the tragedy of the April 10 plane crash will help prod the Russians to do more to acknowledge and apologize. We can hope. In the meantime, North Carolinians can be proud of Paul, and be very glad he turned down an invitation to join the group on the April 10 flight. D.G. MARTIN, Columnist COMMENTS? 484-6200 ext. 222 or editor@upandcomingweekly.com WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM

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