To the editor:
One of the sad realities of life is that things can happen in the blink of an eye that will either place someone in an elder care facility, or at best, will have left them shut-in, homebound.
Many who wind up in nursing homes have relatives who live quite a distance away. It’s not always possible for them to visit the way that they would like. This leaves their loved one confined to the wheelchair, or bed, within the room that is now their world, looking through windows trying to find just one familiar face from the past.
For the ones who are fortunate to at least be able to stay within the comforts of home, they are usually blessed at the close of a long quiet day by having family fill the house, once more, with their presence. Then the voices of their loved ones finally echo through the hallways. The shut-in is again able to enjoy the close proximity of loved ones in their midst.
Even so, during the long stretch of lonely hours in any given day each week, the only voices that give a sense of life as they echo through the house is the hum of scripted words from the television or radio. The only form of communication the shut-in usually has is found in forming friendships, usually long-distance on social networks via the computer. Though enjoyable, it is a rather sad form of socialization when compared alongside actual contact. Luckily for some who feel closed off and isolated and forgotten, there is companionship and warmth and comfort that are received in snuggling with a beloved pet.
In this year and beyond, why not make it a gift to a shut-in by visiting them? They won’t be the only one blessed by your visit.
Debbie Jean Jordan
Caribou
