Outreach

With all the hustle and bustle the holiday seasons brings it can become overwhelming quickly and we can easily forget about those who may need extra attention during the holiday season. The holidays can be tough for senior citizens who may not be able to attend holiday parties (due to physical limitations) or travel to see their family (health conditions prevent them from flying or driving for long periods). Holidays can also bring back fond and emotional memories of loved ones passed. These memories can make the holidays tough to get through. You may find that some of your senior friends, neighbors or those you work with moods have changed. During the holiday season it is not uncommon for senior citizens to experience the holiday blues. With the holidays approaching I cannot help but think of the Homebound patrons the Kenton County Public Library Outreach department serves. Some of our patrons have no family or their family members live out of town. So, what can we do to help our patrons, senior neighbors, grandparents and our senior friends through the holidays? Listed below and some tips on how to cheer up senior citizens during the holiday season. Sit and chat with them for a while. You might be the only human contact they have throughout the holiday season. Allow them to reminisce about holidays past. Holiday cards: Send a holiday card to your neighbor, friend or relative who may be alone for the holiday season. Let them know you are thinking about them and you wish the very best holiday season. I can tell you from experience this can really make their day and they will talk about it for months afterwards. Invite them over [...]

While many of the library patrons served by the Outreach department are residents in facilities that provide them with daily meals, not all of them are. Several are retired couples, or individuals who live in their own homes and apartments. They are responsible for their own food choices and preparation and in that respect; they fall into a category of household that is becoming more and more standard these days. No longer is the large family the norm.  There are many singles and couples, and they all want to feed themselves well.  Statistics back this up, with at present one-third of American families containing only two people.  -from Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Recipes for Two Whether you’re a retired individual, a young adult moving into your first apartment, a bachelor or bachelorette, a pair of newlyweds, or an empty-nester, you will be faced with the new territory of either cooking for yourself for the first time, or cooking smaller sized meals than you have in the past. During these challenges, it’s dangerously easy to fall into the takeout/pizza delivery trap. Learning how to adjust your skills and cook at home is better in the long run for both your health and your wallet. Plus, you’ll avoid the dreaded, “what do you want?”, “I don’t know, what sounds good to you?” exchange that can go on endlessly and frustrate even the most generally unflappable individuals. According to research, most people who cook for themselves use and rotate, at most, only a dozen or so recipes…thus everyday meals can become so routine that any mealtime excitement is lost. -from Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Recipes for Two I can say from personal experience that the statement above is true. While [...]