Did you receive Your Letter..did you get Your Phone Call..All MI. Seniors--

                                                                                   34* Now
                                                                                   28* Tonight
                                                                                   75% Humidity
                                                                                     No rain
                                                                                     No snow
                 one more day to have  "No Accidents" Driving in Macomb Co.


In those days, "long past"...
 while growing up in the '50's & '60's, Age was a term, a word, a meaning-less stage in evolution when one was a teen.  It was a word-term that was stressed as a;
....goal to attain
....position to respect
....status to revere

Yeah, right, as long as one DID respect the parental & educational Entities--one was allowed to reside alongside of them with ease and comfort.

My Mom used to say, when in her 60's, ..."I've paid my dues....I can be & say whatever I desire..."
[secret--I never knew her to 'glide through life silent as the mist, or 'holding back']
Then, it was enough to stand quietly, with a botox-like expression on one's face, & weather the storm.
Now, it is too funny and completely understood & appreciated.
Sorry, Mom too late I come to this awareness and appreciation.

Now, just WHAT does that title reference:
...Yesterday, we received a letter from BCBS of MI. to the effect that:
    a. a company has been formed to enable Home visits for health questions
      ...going over all your health records {basically stored at personal Physician's Office for us}
      ...checking, listing & ???? all prescription meds
      ...other valuable related items
      ...notification of a phone call, in the future, as further contact

...Today, the "future phone call came into this Home:[guess the seasonal mailings are SLOW]
    b. identifying themselves as "the company formed with or through BCBS of MI," that:
      ...would come to our Home
      ...would check all our Medical records for [oops-with] us
      ...would check, locate, organize all prescriptions for [again, along with] us
      ...Naturally, ALL the ABOVE will be Totally VOLUNTARY on our part.

all this, of course, was News to me...Sal has learned to pick his battles with the "question machine-ME"
   today, he lost the battle & the war he tried to avoid.
    ...I didn't KNOW about the letter
    ...he shredded it yesterday [ personal identity theft you know. Right, do you believe that?]
    ...when asked, told me about "the" phone call
 
    ...living up to the moniker of "question machine", my type A- personality [not totally hyper]
    ...the questions of " What..., Who authorized...How is BCBSofMI doing this...Where did they get
       information of...."
   ...Sal, the very type BB personality, sat there and laughed. He told them that 'not coming to 
      THIS Home.'

OK, that covers us, but the greater question lies [pun intended] in the fact that:
     a...there is NO Health Reform Bill that has been Read, Seen by all, Signed by some, or Sent 
          back to the House for compromise, then.....?????
     b...therefore-just how and when did BCBSofMI [& all other States ?], have this program 
          and Company formed & utilized BEFORE the Reform Bill has been signed into Law.

     c...The Most jarring question is: Did THEY not state unequivocally that No such item,
         referred to by some as 'death squads', but more euphemistically known as 'end of life' counsel
         actually get spun-off to those groups who provide care to all Seniors?

The use of the Term, Status, Word ---"VOLUNTARY" takes on a totally different meaning when the
actual Reality of  'end_of_life_counseling' is mailed to & phone-called into your private home.

Though my outlook on life generally views these type of manipulations as LOL incidents; However, this
is one that causes concern:  How many of those seniors here in MI.[& Your States too?] are, have, or will be receiving this "official-messaging" before the Christmas Holiday confusion, excitement or worse,loneliness.

AS the title alerts:
  a. all Seniors, who are still strong & growing stronger in their ability to make personal choices
  b. it also is a call to all of you who have "Parental Entities"[-Love that term], "Relatives", & / or "Best
       Friends" who fall PROUDLY  & LIGITAMENTLY in this "age-based' category  

 Do NOT sign, authorize, nor agree to anyone coming into Your Home, or place of residence until, &  unless you clarify exactly HOW this is Authorized. 
 If you are the guardian of, or BF to someone in this age grouping, please step Forward  

On second-sight, known as  20/20 after_the_fact Clear Vision, this does not seem so helpful nor
as innocent after 'first Blush'.

Perhaps, this posting is a result of my "German" heritage of foresters, mil-wrights, farmers, All True Nature jobs--NOT today's environmentalists--TRUE jobs with actual knowledge of how to co-exist with nature AND the Stubbornness to make it work to the benefit of each, through their OWN, personal decision-making.

This however, does not explain why Sal- Italian & Polish heritage - would find this a laughing matter, does it?   OH, WA-A-IT for it--I know, he laughs now But when or if they actually come uninvited to our Home, he will 'make them an offer that they cannot.....' you know the rest of that Italian ethnic slur. [let's hear it for the Soprano's --well, I liked that show & watched all the episodes FOR Sal, of course.]    
      For me, I REFUSE to ignore this Insult to those generations who are NOW considered :
  ....non-vital
  ....non-viable
  ....unneeded
  ....unaware
  ....beyond their prime
  ....behind the times

NO WAY---so much active, brilliant, caring, concerned, decisive, experienced, involved, knowledgeable,
               reasonable, stable, & tactful people are never to be shunned or shunted aside.
 [true story--My Dad was relieved, retired, actually removed by the Heir to the Company where he worked
                 many years;  the person placed into his position [Electrical Engineer] had the training, but
                 no experience; many nights the phone rang at the Home with 'emergency questions from
                 that person. Dad helped as much as he could-off-site ; eventually requesting remuneration. 
                 Don't know the result of his strong request--but do know that not so many years later, this 
                 Heir lost the Family Business as it was 'bought out' by a stronger company   
      
Are YOU a Senior 65 or older:
do YOU know a Senior or have Relatives or BFs
Are YOU a guardian or PR to a Senior:
Call to Action:
     start the Wave--let no Senior be caught within this situation without family or friend "HELP.
                            If, already, in senior-placements, homes, or assisted-living arrangements--Go there
                             ASK questions, GET answers that can be lived with; this will be time consuming,  
                             and frustrating, BUT remember just WHO it was who stood by your side during any
                             illness, disappointment, & troubling events:
                             DO IT &  take your children along--after all, THEY may be doing this for you
                             one day-[-unless, of course, you join with us & others who have made a will where 
                             you have selected that person who will handle all such decisions-impartially.]

Maybe what is being offered is the Choice of the Seniors You ARE or KNOW--
just be certain that it is their CHOICE. [ or you, too, can utilize Sal's approach & / or Heritage approach]