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Page 8C - Sunday, May 29, 2011 - Plainview Herald www.MyPlainview.com
Call me what you want, but don’t call me granny!
A growing number of
baby boomers are rejecting
titles like grandma
and granny. They are not
rejecting the role, but they
are adamantly refusing to be
called the names that their
grandmothers were called.
Why?
According to a segment
on “The Today Show”
last Wednesday, we baby
boomers are a generation of
aging women who fought
to challenge stereotypes,
redefi ne sex and maintain
our independence, so the
title of grandma is simply
not appealing to us.
We may be rejecting the
titles because of the images
that we conjure up when we
think “grandma” or “granny.”
My image of granny is
a sweet little old lady with
gray hair and wire-framed
eyeglasses, and she has on
a simple housedress that
buttons all the way down
ALICE
SAWAYER
the front and a starched print
apron tied at the waist. She
was always in the kitchen,
and she always had a fresh
baked apple pie or a plate
of homemade sugar cookies
ready when we visited.
Some baby boomers say
their image of a granny
is that of the feisty little
rough-and-tough 80-year old
woman who played Granny
on the Beverly Hillbillies.
Since “grandma” and
“granny” are being deleted
from our vocabulary, what
do baby boomers want to be
called?
Plainview Healthcare Center…
24th & Yonkers
296-5584
Grandmommy is my name
of choice. I decided that
was going to be my name
as soon as my daughter and
son-in-law announced 14
years and eight months ago
they were expecting their
fi rst child. I proudly declared
that I would be called grandmommy
and my husband,
Paul, would be granddad.
For the next several months
I took a lot of chiding from
my family and friends who
kept telling me that I would
answer to whatever the
grandchild called me. However,
I stood fi rm with my
conviction — my grandchild
would call me what I taught
her to call me, and I started
teaching her to call me
grandmommy as soon as she
was born.
I’m happy to report that
the laugh was on my family
and friends! I now have two
precious granddaughters,
Kenzie, who just turned 14,
and Kaitlyn, who will be
10 in July, and both call me
grandmommy!
On the “grandma” segment
of The Today Show,
psychologist Dale Atkins,
a grandmother of fi ve,
explained that we are not
rejecting our roles. Rejection
is more about the stereotype
and not wanting to be associated
with the infi rm person
who isn’t able to do a lot of
the things the new grandmothers
are able to do, and
we are not wanting to appear
older than we are.
Women are looking for
more modern titles, and celebrities
are leading the way
in the quest. “Glamma” is
becoming the title of choice
for Hollywood grandmas,
with Goldie Hawn leading
the way. Wow, how time
fl ies! It doesn’t seem like
Goldie is old enough to be
a grandma, but it’s a fact
— she’s a grandma, and
Proud Of Our Heritage
… Welcome Home
she has taught her grandkids
to call her glam-ma.
“Nana” and “MeMe” are
also popular. Priscilla Presley
went back to her Italian
roots when choosing her
title, “Nona.”
As I was preparing to
write this column, I decided
to poll a few of my Soroptimist
friends to fi nd out what
their grandchildren call them
and how they got their titles.
Christa Smith, a professor at
Wayland, has three grandkids,
and all three call her
Maga. She’s not sure how
the name came about; that’s
just what they have always
called her.
Judy Gattis, a retiree from
Caprock Plains Baptist Area
Center, has fi ve grandchildren.
She said some of them
call her Mia and the others
call her Mingo. Like Christa,
Judy isn’t sure how she
got those names. Laughingly,
she added, “T.C. (her
husband) thinks the grandkids
should call me, ‘The
Wonderful Woman Who
Gives Them Everything
They Want,’ because that’s
what I do!”
Brenda Rowan, a CPA at
Jones and Pendergast here
in Plainview, has two little
granddaughters, and they
call her Nana. She said
she chose the name, but it
wasn’t her fi rst choice. She
wanted to be called Gee
Gee, but that name was
already taken, so she settled
for Nana.
No matter what your
grandchildren call you, I
hope you cherish your role
as much as I do. For me,
being a grandmother is the
most rewarding role I have
ever had!
But don’t call me granny!
Alice Sawayer is a Licensed
Professional Counselor.
alicesawayer@att.net
806.293.2313
Simplifi ed computers for seniors, and help with Medicare
Dear Savvy Senior
Do you know of any home
computers that are specifi
cally designed for senior
citizens? I would like to get
a computer for my 73-yearold
mother, but she’s not
computer savvy at all.
Look Around
Dear Looking,
There are actually several
computers on the market today
that are designed specifi -
cally for older boomers and
seniors who want, and need,
things simple. Here are some
top options to check out.
Telikin: For seniors that
have little or no computer
experience the new Telikin
“touch-screen” computer is a
wonderful option. Ready to
go right out of the box, this
innovative computer comes
pre-loaded with simplifi ed
software that makes accessing
the web, e-mail, games,
video chat, photo sharing,
news, weather and more,
just a touch of the screen
away. And since it runs on
Linux software instead of
the standard Windows or
Mac OS, it’s a virus-free
computer too.
The Telikin comes with
a sleek 18.6-inch LCD
touchscreen (a 20-inch
touchscreen will be available
in mid to late June),
320-gigabyte hard drive,
built-in speakers, webcam,
microphone, wired keyboard
and mouse, and provides a
unique “tech buddy” feature
that can help seniors get
computer assistance when
needed. Priced at $700, (the
20-inch model will retail for
$995) Telikin comes with a
60-day trial period, 1-year
warranty and free support
for the fi rst 60 days. Visit
telikin.com or call 800-230-
3881 to learn more.
It’s also worth noting that
Telikin has a partnership
with fi rstSTREET (fi rststreetonline.com,
800-704-1209),
a senior product direct
marketing company which
is also selling this computer
rebranded as the “WOW!
Computer for Seniors.”
Senior PCs: Sold through
Enablemart (enablemart.
com, 888-640-1999), Senior
JIM
MILLER
PCs are Hewlett-Packard
computers that also come
completely set-up and ready
to use, but depending on
your mom’s needs, you’ll
have several options to
choose from.
If you’re looking for
simplifi ed “goof-proof”
operation, the Autopilot
desktop is the best model.
This PC comes equipped
with QualiWorld software
that provides one-click
solutions for tasks like letter
writing, preparing a document,
surfi ng the Internet,
sending and reading e-mails
and much more. The
Autopilot also comes with
OnTimeRx medication and
appointment reminding software,
HOYLE Crossword
and Sudoku puzzles, a high
contrast keyboard, mouse,
17-inch monitor, speakers
and a color printer all for
$1,125. They also offer this
same Autopilot computer in
a laptop edition for $1,165.
Or, for seniors with low
vision their Vision Plus
model may be a better
fi t. This computer comes
pre-confi gured with everything
you need to see your
PC, including state-of-theart
screen magnifi cation
software, a high visibility
keyboard, and an all-in-one
printer/scanner for scanning
in books, mail and
other reading materials for
magnifi cation. It also comes
with OnTimeRx medication
reminder software, HOYLE
Crossword and Sudoku
puzzles, a 17-inch monitor,
mouse and external speakers.
The price: $1,255 for
the Vision Plus desktop, or
$1,895 for the laptop edition.
Kiwi PC: If you’re
looking for something
more affordable, the new
Linux-powered Kiwi PC for
seniors is another option to
consider. Priced at just $380,
this user-friendly computer
provides a simplifi ed navigation
system, with oversized
tool bar, large icons and
text that makes it easier to
see and use. Other features
include a customizable “Me
Menu” that provides quick
and easy access to frequently
visited websites, e-mail
and programs straight from
the desktop, a color-coded
keyboard, 19-inch monitor,
and a toll-free phone support
line that’s available 24/7.
See kiwipc.com, or call 855-
255-5494.
Savvy Tip: While it’s not
designed specifi cally for
seniors, the Apple IPad2
($499) is another userfriendly
option that has gotten
great reviews from older
users. See apple.com to learn
more.
• • •
Dear Savvy Senior,
What kinds of programs
are available to help lowincome
seniors with their
Medicare costs and other
expenses? My 81-year-old
mother has gone through
her savings and is having
a tough time getting by on
her Social Security benefi ts.
What can you tell us?
Worried Son
Dear Worried,
There are actually a
variety of under-utilized
programs that can help
lower-income seniors with
their Medicare costs, grocery
bills, utility expenses and
more. Here’s what you
should know.
Medicare Savings Programs
For millions of seniors
who are having a tough
time paying their out-ofpocket
healthcare costs,
help is available through
Medicare Savings Programs
(MSPs). These are Medicaid-administered
programs
that pay Medicare Part B
premiums and depending on
your mom’s fi nances may
even pick up the tab on her
Medicare copayments and
deductibles. To qualify,
her income must be under
$1,246 per month (or $1,675
for a married couple), and
her assets must be below
$6,680 ($10,020 per couple)
not including her house, vehicle,
burial fund, furniture
or other household items.
To fi nd out if she qualifi es,
or to apply, contact her local
Medicaid offi ce — call
800-633-4227 for contact
information.
Extra Drug Help
If your mom is eligible for
a MSP, she’s also eligible
for “Extra Help” in paying
her Medicare prescription
drug plan costs. If, however,
she’s not eligible she can
still get Extra Help if her
annual income is below
$16,335 ($22,065 for a married
couple living together),
and her cash assets are under
$12,640 ($25,260 for married
couples) excluding her
home and vehicle. For more
information, call Social
Security at 800-772-1213 or
see www.ssa.gov/prescriptionhelp.
Food Assistance
In addition to the Medicare
programs, your mom
may also be able to get some
help with her grocery bills.
Food assistance programs
like SNAP (Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance
Program) are available to
seniors, age 60 and older,
with cash assets under
$3,000, and a “net income”
below $903 per month
($1,215 for a family of two).
Net income is fi gured by
taking your mom’s gross
income minus allowable
deductions like medical
expenses, rent or mortgage
payments, utility costs,
insurance, taxes and more.
The average monthly SNAP
benefi t is currently around
$101 per person. To fi nd out
if your mom qualifi es, use
the SNAP pre-screening tool
at www.snap-step1.usda.gov
or contact her local SNAP
offi ce — call 800-221-5689
for contact information.
Utility Assistance
There are also resources
available that can help
low-income seniors reduce
their utility bills. The Low
Income Home Energy Assistance
Program, as well as
local utility companies and
charitable organization help
CLASSMATE: ‘It’s just a good thing for a nice girl’
Continued from Page 7C
Classmate Floyd Braun
lives in California.
Schubert called Vaagen,
who was tremendously
helpful, he said, in getting
a really good price to get a
couple thousand pounds of
Hansen’s belongings from
San Antonio to Bismarck.
Then he contacted
Mayfl ower in San Antonio,
where Augustino gave him
another big price break to
have a couple of guys crate
her things and take them to
Southeastern Freight there to
be shipped.
From California, Braun
helped fi nance the costs for
that.
On June 28, Jones will
travel to San Antonio to take
Hansen back to Wimberley
with her and put her on a
Greyhound bus the next day
for Bismarck.
In the early morning in
Bismarck, Bender will pick
Hansen up at the Greyhound
depot here and bring her to
the Patterson to get the keys
to her new apartment.
On July 5, some classmates
will meet out at Midwest
to uncrate Hansen’s
belongings and bring them
to the Patterson.
And Hansen will be back
home.
Schubert said he hopes
that he and his wife will be
able to get to Bismarck for
the Fourth of July weekend
to be here in person.
“We’re all senior citizens
in our 66th year,” he said.
“Everybody has a little.
Nobody’s rich. Everybody’s
putting time and effort.
Everybody stepped up for
her. It’s just a good thing for
a nice girl.
“We’re just trying to get
Judy home,” he said.
After fi ve or six things fell
through, the group didn’t
give up. They kept at it until
(a) led to (b) then to (c), he
said.
“I want to give Les (Vaagan)
the credit,” Schubert
said. “We want to thank him
so much. He gave us something
to work with.”
“It’s something that Bismarckers
will do. It might
not happen everywhere else,
but it’ll happen in Bismarck,
North Dakota.”
Hansen has no immediate
family in Bismarck, Bender
said. “We’re her family now.”
millions of Americans each
year with their home heating
and cooling costs. To search
for help go to energynear.
org, a web portal that provides
information on all energy
assistance programs in
each state, along with qualifi
cation details, how to apply
and who to contact. You can
also call the National Energy
Assistance Referral project
at 866-674-6327.
Supplemental Income
Another program to check
into is SSI or Supplemental
Security Income. Administered
by the Social Security
Administration, SSI provides
monthly payments to
very low income seniors
(age 65 and older), as well
as to those who are blind
and disabled. To learn more
or fi nd out if she’s eligible,
visit www.ssa.gov/ssi or call
800-772-1213.
Savvy Tip: To search for
other assistance programs
go to benefi tscheckup.org, a
comprehensive web service
developed by the National
Council on Aging, that
contains a database of more
than 2,000 federal, state
and local programs that can
help seniors in need. The
site will help you locate
programs that your mom
may be eligible for and will
show you how to apply.
This service is only available
online.
Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC
Today show and author of
“The Savvy Senior” book.
Send your senior questions to:
Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443,
Norman, OK 73070
SavvySenior.org
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