Way back on March 28th I let slip a little blurb about Tyvek sleeves for credit cards. Gather 'round kiddies, and Grandpa Jim will lead you in crafts class. Since this is an outgrowth of Cheapology, we will start with the scrounge movement. Ever get a nice envelope (from some company trying to sell you something) that has a sort of "woven" feel to it? That was probably Tyvek. Here is an example:
We cut a strip out of it just about the width of the card
(HA! and you thought I was going to post something with credit card numbers? HA! Its my genuine Old Geezer Membership Card!) and long enough to wrap around generously.
Then we fold a flap up at the bottom
and around back we mark it
for cutting.
Then we fold it backwards and mark the glue limit line, which we will stay back from about 1/16" so as not to glue the sleeve to the card...
We apply rubber cement to the outside of the short flap and the inside of the long flap, and when it has dried we set the card on the Tyvek and fold the short flap up
and the long flap down
and rub hard to seal the two glued pieces together.
The sleeve is just a bit longer than the card (by design, friend, by design)
and we trim to fit, cutting convexly so as to provide a grip wherewith to draw the card forth.
We have now protected our card from the nameless dangers that lurk in a wallet stowed perilously close to the human rear. There is also a utilitarian benefit. Protected by the Tyvek, the magnetic strip will not be damaged, and anything printed on, like photos or bar codes, will be safe from scuffing.
Cheap, huh?
After a Decade
6 years ago
I'm still laughing that this is "Your Link to Elder Caregiver & Aging Services." I mean, come ON. Ohio has a "Department of Aging"???? Bureaucracy in full BLOOM!!!
ReplyDeleteSC also has a department on aging, as does most every state who has taken a sober look at the statistics.
ReplyDeleteBy 2010 (a mere 2 years away), 30,000 more people in Ohio will be diagnosed with AD or related dementias.
These will be people with a long term need for extremely expensive medication, personal caregivers, and assistance with activities of daily living (ADL).
The average age of a caregiver is 48, with 13% of caregivers being as young as 19. Let's see, by 2010, you and I and all the rest of generation X will be near, at, or older than 40 years old. So instead of spending our time on the golf course, trips to Cancun, or boating, we will be spending time making sure our parents, grandparents, siblings, spouses, and in some cases our children, are fed, diapered, soothed, medicated, bathed, and their finances are in order - often while enduring suspicion, hostility, and the pain of seeing your loved one forget who you are. If you want a taste of what it's like, try having you wife scream bloody murder when you get in bed with her because she thinks you're a stranger.
It takes an average of 2 to 4 caregivers to properly provide care for 1 person with ADRD. So about 60,000 of Ohio's population will be providing direct care for 30,000 of the population, leaving the rest of the aging population to pay in excess of $4.4 BILLION in Ohio state and federal costs directly related to ADRD.
Your options are to a) start working on government solutions NOW, b) pump out another three to five kids to make up for the people who for whatever reasons did not procreate their own long-term care insurance, c) find a cure for ADRD in the next 12 years , d) all of the above, or e) let it all implode because you don't plan on living to see 40 anyway.
Personally I'm siding with the state governments on this one. I've been trying for d), but that won't happen unless everyone gets behind it.
Oh yeah, stats can be found at http://www.alz.org/national/documents/report_alzfactsfigures2008.pdf
Then there are the people in favor of term limits. More gummint stuff. How bout sending the geezers to Cancun, or boating, and let the staff of the resorts handle the diapers and stuff?
ReplyDeleteI always did have better ideas, didn't I?