From the President ...
I want to devote this month’s column to a serious matter. During April, a member of the expatriate community, who also happened to be a member of LCS, lay in his home in a diabetic coma for two days before being found and rushed to the hospital; he did not survive. He was not an elderly man, as ages go around here; he was only 65. Like many of us, he did live alone, and that is the point I want to address here.
Too often we do not get sufficiently involved in the lives of our friends and neighbors. I mean that quite literally. We don’t get involved in their lives. We don’t even know if they are alive. Jeanne Chausse wrote very thoughtfully in her column in the Guadalajara Reporter about this topic, saying that we should keep better track of our friends and acquaintances who live alone by making simple personal arrangements to call or see them often, if only to be sure they are okay. I do see the wisdom in this simple approach and to not want to complicate matters; however, I was wondering if together we can think of ways to make caring for each other easier and more effective.
I want to form a task force at the LCS to address this issue. I ask that four or five interested people come forward as volunteers to meet and explore specific actions we could take to help keep better track of each other and to ask for help when needed. For example, we could create a packet of information to be given out to newcomers to our community that contains such items as the Red Cross card that lists simple Spanish phrases necessary when one calls an ambulance in Mexico. I am not sure what else might be useful, but I want a group of us to discuss this and to make recommendations. We will make the results available to the entire community. I want to keep this simple. I truly think we can do better. If you want to become involved in this effort, please let me know. Call me at 766-5567 or fill out a volunteer form at LCS and indicate that you want to help by being part of this task force. It should only take a few weeks of your time, and it may help save a life -maybe even your own!
~Nancy Creevan~
Silent Auction
LCS is now accepting items for the Silent Auction the JULY FIESTA (date to be announced later). We are in need of items that members are willing to donate to be auctioned off to raise money for the Student Aid Program at Wilkes Education Center. Any new or formerly owned treasures that have a “for sale value” will be greatly appreciated and welcomed. All donated items will be received by Tod Jonson for this auction. Tod is on the LCS campus most every morning to collect items or by phone at 766-4586. Many thanks to everyone!
LCS Classifieds
Our new Classified Section is now up and running
on our website. If you haven’t seen it yet, please
go to www.lakechapalasociety.org and click on
classifieds. If you are looking to rent or buy a
house, sell furniture, cars, computers, etc. or are
offering a service like house or pet sitting, then visit
our website. Not everyone is able to come look at
our bulletin boards at LCS, so this is a great way
to let your fingers do the shopping!
Please
e-mail classifieds@lakechapalasociety.org to post
an ad.
~Mary Ann Waite, LCS Secretary~
New Ophthalmologist Services
Dr. Antonio Pinto is a full-time ophthalmologist (medical specialist for eye diseases) who speaks English. His office is in Riberas, located east of the Maskaras Clinic at 77-2 Hildalgo. A number of LCS members have been very pleased with his work and recommend him highly. His phone number is 765-7793.
University of North Carolina Survey Report
Dr. Sloane recently returned to LCS to present and discuss some of the findings and conclusions of the research conducted by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill which focused on health care services of expats retired in Mexico, especially those with acute needs requiring hospitalization or those with a chronic illness requiring ongoing care.
Issues identified by respondents were: quality of care; relationships with providers; health insurance; negotiating the Mexican medical system; and choice.
In summary, opinions regarding the quality were mixed but generally positive, especially regarding access and personalization of care. Outpatient and long-term care services were generally praised. Hospital care, because of its high cost and variation in quality, received more mixed comments. Interestingly, of particular interest to the survey group was the high level of satisfaction expressed about providers of long-term care services, including in-home providers. Concerns reported were the inadequacy of insurance in general, and the lack of Medicare coverage in Mexico specifically. Negotiating the healthcare system, with its public/private dichotomy and lack of publicity available information required too much personal initiative and networking. Choices confronting continuously included when and where to go for services, when to use Mexican providers, and when to return to the U.S. for medical care.
In regards to Medicare in particular, Dr. Sloane pointed out the Medicare wishes to contain costs rather than expand services, which makes it unlikely Medicare coverage will be extended to U.S. retirees here. At this time, he believes more feasible alternatives might include private insurance plans that focus on catastrophic expenses that include high deductibles but coverage for hospitalization, or the development of community risk pools for foreign retirees.
New books include the following:
Deadly Doses: A Writer’s Guide to Poisons (Serita Stevens)
Sweepers (P.T. Deutermann)
Like a Knife (Annie Solomon)
1,000 Years, 1,000 People (Agnes Gottlieb)
Jimmy Stewart: A Biography (Marc Elliot)
One More Time (Jane Ann Krantz)
Sooner or Later (Elizabeth Adler)
World Without End (Ken Follett)
*The library has many paperbacks books for sale for 7 pesos each. Please remember that this is one of the few ways the library has to help with its support, so please remember to pay for the books you take. Also, remember that during the summer months, the LCS Library will close at 1:00 PM on Saturdays.
New Videos
Days of Heaven; Michael Clayton; The Road Home; Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow; Who Shot Pat?; Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey; The Usual Suspects, and many others.
Note: Rentals are for members only.
(1) For maximum effects, color coordinate your plants and flowers -reds and oranges, blues and purples, etc.
(2) To all you budding gardeners with black thumbs, the biggest mistake is over watering; a small amount everyday in dry season is better than a good soak once a week.
(3) Remember, things grow differently here because of the mild weather and the altitude, so give the plants growing space, and they will do better.
(4) Know your plants! Lots of pretty flowers and leaves are poisonous if ingested by humans and their pets; the three most common are oleander, poinsettia, and pencil cactus.
(5) The most common complaint we have at LCS is the dead tree or plant. We have deciduous varieties that lose their leaves every year, just like in the frozen north. Trust me, they come back better than ever, with beautiful flowers and growth.
(6) Another phenomenon is that plants that bloom once a year up north will bloom profusely year-round here.
(7) Tropical plants from Florida and other warm areas grow better here because we do not have major humidity, which can cause plant mold and rot.
(8) If you water your cactus and fertilize them, they will grow faster and bloom a couple of times a year; providing no water will slow them down.
Garden News
I have just returned from my casa in Mexico City, and I want to tell everyone about all the new plantings at the LCS. I have planted snapdragons and Russian sage, two of Neill James’ favorites, around the front pond and added a purple and blue look in the herb garden. I hope you will enjoy these new additions! ~Ken Gosh~
New LCS Hours
The LCS Library, its offices, and the Information Desk will close at 1:00 PM on Saturdays until further notice. The Video Library, however, will remain open until 2:00 PM.