DEAR ABBY: I don't have a problem. I have a solution to what used to be a major headache in my life. Perhaps others may benefit should you care to print this.
My 90-year-old mother has been confined to a nursing home for the past three years. She is alert and enjoys relatively good health. Her major disability is that she has become quite deaf, but she refuses to wear a hearing aid because she says it will make her look "old." Consequently, visits with her always end up in an angry shouting match, and communication with friends and family has come to a halt. Now Mother sits alone in a silent, frustrating world.
Recently I hit upon a partial solution. Each day I mail her a "bulletin," bringing her news of the family, cheery comments on life and absolutely no bad news. I type six at a time (one can improvise on coming events), using large uppercase letters and double spacing for easy reading. It takes only one hour a week -- a small price for the joy it gives my mother. The results can't be measured. She gets a little present every day the mail is delivered and is no longer a nonperson.
My daily bulletins do not replace personal visits; they make those visits more pleasant. -- R.H.G., ELM GROVE, WIS.
DEAR R.H.G.: I hope you will mention in one of your "bulletins" that a hearing aid does not make a person look "old." It's hardly visible, but if it's noticed at all, it's evidence that the wearer is doing his or her part to stay in communication with the outside world.
And how very thoughtful of you to see that your mother gets something in the mail from you every day.