The Castlegar Sun Dear Aen Landers: In a recent te Calvin ana Hobbes NERS ' | | ON ATTN SD ‘aero weit | | 8a pe i RAN x wean column, you made refi toa newspaper story about two women who got into a fight over toilet paper. You said, “I'd love the inside skinny on what those womem were fighting about.” Well, I am Carolyn Abel, the victim, and J can tell you exactly what happened between me and Julia Pike. Canadian Criss Cross by Walter D. Feener 3 4 in Aspen, Colo. While in line for the ladies’ room, an overly aggressive woman started to nudge me. I told her, “We aren't going anywhere because there are people in front of us who also have been waiting quite a while.” We finally found empty stalls next to each other. 1 noticed my stall had no toilet paper. I knocked on the wall of Julia Pike's stall and said, “Excuse me, may I have some toilet paper?” No response. I tried again, saying, “Excuse me, but I'm out of toilet paper. Can you pass some under the stall?” She shouted back, “Well, you cer- tainly are rude! You didn't say ‘please’! You need to be taught some manners!” When I stepped out of the stall, this woman charged up to me, put her face in mine and screamed, “You need jo be taught some manners!” With that, she head-butted me and broke my nose in three places. My girlfriend, Susie, who was also in the ladies’ room, couldn't believe her eyes. In a matter of seconds, my nose was bleeding, and I was stand- ing im a pool of blood. Susie yelled at the woman, “You're a psycho!” I'll never forget the look on Julia Pike's face as she screamed, “Oh yeah? Do you want to be next?” Julia Pike was arrested and served time im jail while awaiting deporta- tion back to Great Britain. I'm glad you asked, Ann. I'm happy to set the Sead straight about that night io Aspen. — Carolyn Abel Dear Carolyn: Thanks for the fill- in. I'm relieved to know it had noth- ing to do with whether the toilet AN. \(_ 00 WAT > Pama SEE, LLL PVTON MY ROLLER SKATES AND TIE | A ROPE FROM THE CAR | @yMPER TO MY WAIST THEN KW WHEN (GIVE “OU THE HIGH FINE, fou PATCH OMT WHILE L RIDE BEHIND AT SS MPH’ Wednesday, May 4, 1994 by Bill Watterson Lcd. (petionymertee eM. yoy THINK Tay COVERS we SHES GOING | WERE. MY TO BELIEVE ee ARE | THA Se AN Ss we Ky le BABY BLUES WHAT'S WITH ALL THE BANANAS? DANS AGO, ANO ZoES BEEN DRIVING ME NUTS ASKING: FOR THEM! Fumiture wheel Exclamation of 1. Oblique line regret 5. ‘s 3 ACROSS girtfriend Dumb bird? 9. Liama's habitat Card game 11. Arabian 40. Throw Pertaining to 13. “All In The ‘s" earthquakes -} RAN OUT OF THEM A COURE oF | | 1 MADE A SPECIAL TRIP To THE STORE $0 1 WON'T HAVE TO LUSTEN To HER YELLING "Nha Sannin NANA! ANY! ACTUALY, SAE Doesn'T WANT ITUNLESS IT'S BEEN Frock. to the CROSSWORD in our Coming out this Saturday 8. ‘s LOOK FOR THE ANSWERS WEST KOOTENAY ADVERTISER Happy Birthday Mom - love Keith & April Happy Birthday Jeannie - love Geoff Happy Birthday Emma Dacosta - from Grandma Ginny Happy 4th Birthday Dad & Jeffrey Jordan Rogers - love Mom, + May 10 Happy 6th Birthday Karen - love from Dad, Mom, Kelly & Haley * May 7- Happy Birthday Ray Bystrom - from Ginny Phone in your & Brian + May 10 Happy 15th Birthday Jason - love Mom Happy 15th Birthday Jason Mulder - love Brian Pick Up Your Royal Treat Af The Castlegar Dairy The ea stl iis Excellence in Service Award This award will be presented every week to someone in Castlegar who shows extraordinary service to his/her ~~" €ustomers or clients. gar Sun The recipient will receive an award plaque to keep courtesy of Kats Trophys and a 2 person Thrift _ Dinner, courtesy of Chicken Time. We'd like everyone in Castlegar to know that service excellence exists in our c ity. This award recogni a nominated business. If you know of someone that offers "Excellence in Service," call me, Marilyn Strong at 365-5266, or drop a letter at the Castlegar Sun with your suggestion. PROFILE Castlegar § Home is where the help is When looking toward the future of health care look no further than your own home Home Support Worker, Lorraine Fayant has Robert Wadey, 70, maintain his within his home since 1988. In 1989 Robert's wife died, making the weekly visits with his Home Care Worker even more valuable and essen- tial. Both Wadey and Fayant value the time they spend her; she as a giv and he as a client. Both indi- viduals have developed a strong bond which is obvi- ous when one watches them together, such as in this ~* Ls still a mystery to many people. And yet, without the services of Castlegar and District Home Support, many of the elderly or disabled i in the community would most certainly lose the one thing that is most valuable in life Governed by a volunteer board of directors, i non-profit organization offers many pro- grams in the community that allow individuals to function within their home setting in a dignified manner. Offering a variety of services, that are in keeping with the Min- I: it’s 20th year, the functions of the Castlegar and District Home Support Association is “We have a Mental Health outreach worker who coordinates care for clients.” Home Support also utilizes the services of a Nutritional Outreach coordinator who trains Workers to deliver nutrition education to their clients. “They make assessments of clients. The worker would assess someone if there is a problem with their meal preparation, if they are on a special diet or not eating well.” The client's specific needs would then be incorporated into a care plan for them which has been tailored to meet their unique and individual nutritional needs. istry of Health’s mandate ‘Closer to Home’—which encourages moving health care out of acute care settings and back into the community, Home Support should be in its hay day. But unfortunately it’s not. Decreased funding poets the Ministry of Health has left Home Support wrestling with escalating costs, and a rapidly increasing client load. of providing quality care—a standard they stand by—with a limit- ed budget. “The ‘Closer to Home’ policy sounds good politically—but it’s tough with funding curtailed by the ministry. It’s very difficult to understand. It’s difficult to budget.” Lovette said keeping people in their homes is a proven success. They do better medically, and are happier than they would be in hospital. But most of all, it makes solid economical sense-—espe- ependence. cially since we are an ageing population. In only a few short years, | astlegar Home Support mission statement Gasitegar and District. Home. Support Administrator Lovette Nichvolodoff spoke about the frustration contributes to the comfort and well- being Because clients are traditionally those who are elderty—95 per cent of the client load is elderly—or those who are in poor health, a necessary part of in-house education includes grief counselling. After caring for a client for extended periods of time, one can’t help but become close to a client. But with that closeness also comes the inevitable pain of losing them to death. We make sure if any support workér needs ‘griéf Counselling that it is available to them. Hospice volunteers help them come to community through the provision of | grips with that loss.” e-based and community Services offers individuals and family mem- Reet for and cakincemant of | might not be able to provide for themselves a healthy and bal- lity of Life with an end objective of anced diet. imizing or maintaining personal, Besides offering home support, the organization also coordi- nates a Meal On Wheels program for clients who, for some reason, Volunteers deliver hot and nutritious meals prepared by the kitchen staff at Castlegar and District Hospital, to clients who are disabled, convalescing, or have a short-term or long-term illness. The Meals On Wheels program offersin total 90 meals a-week for the services of organizations such as Home Support will be crucial. “Keeping people in their homes is cost-effective.” With a staff of 75 Home Support Workers assisting 300 clients within the Castlegar area, Home Support offers a variety of services. After being assessed by Continuing Care, it is determined if an individual needs assistance maintaining independence within their own home. Clients might be eligible for a Home Care Provider as little as four hours a week, or could require 24-hour respite care. As well, their needs are individual. A worker might only be needed to help with meal prepa- ration, household such as vac king or childcare. At the other end of the spectrum, a Worker might be responsible for even more personal care such as bathing’a client, or giving medication Whatever the need, the Workers are highly-skilled individuals who are graduates of a rec ognized health care programs. But their education doesn’t stop there. Each worker is trained by an RN. in the medical care which might be required by a specific client, explained Lovette. “They are trained for each client—specific transfers, exercise pr catheter care, bowel care, medical istance, or assi e with for le. They are trained and super- vised when they do each of these things. They are trained and skilled workers.” Despite budget cuts, extensive ongoing in-house educatian is offered at no cost to each worker. As well, Home Support is involved with many services within Castlegar and area such as the Mental Health Unit. those individuals who are in need of the service. Another worthy program which was initiated by money raised locally is the Personal Emer- gency Response System. The system is simple, yet incredibly effective. A pendant worn around a client's neck provides the client the ability to contact emergency outside help with the touch of a button Th¢fhonitor for the devices-is located at Trail Regional Hospital. Immediately a responder at the hospital calls one of the three people, usually friends or relatives of the client, who have volunteered to check on them during such a crisis. In the event that a volunteer can’t be reached an ambulance is dispatched to the client’s home Lovette said many clients have come to depend on the sense of security the device offers. Take Francis Kanigan for example. It’s his security blanket.” With a bounty of services almost at our back doors, Castlegar can't afford to lose the valu- able and timely services that Home Support offers. And yet, with budget cut backs and rising costs, the future of Home Support is cloudy. For now, the organization is still treading water, but there might come the day when their future could be in jeopardy. “We will need support to continue to function. We foresee that.” Lovette said Home Support welcomes donations and has a charitable donation number for those who wish tocontribute. Story: Karen Kerkhoft Photograph: John Van Putten