Grand Plans: June 20, 2024

A semi-monthly newsletter from Grand Plans designed to normalize and celebrate our glorious geri-destiny through information, stories, real talk conversation, smart planning and shared experience.

Things I’m prattling on about today

Jerry, or Gerri, has certainly lost its luster on the baby name list these days, hasn’t it? It used to be the cool kid name on television and elsewhere — you had Jerry Springer, Geraldo, Jerry Seinfeld, the Bible-beating Jerry Fallwell, the duo Tom & Jerry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Gerald Ford, music icon Jerry Garcia and even the Southern comedian, Jerry Clower (who is very funny, btw).

Jerry was synonymous with VIP! Until it wasn’t. Sadly, the name Jerry hit its peak of popularity in about 1945 and has been on a slow ride south ever since. Today, it ranks near the very bottom of BabyCenter.com name list at #983.

Could this be the end of a G-era? ‘Fraid so.

In my lifetime I’ve known only a handful of Jerrys and they’ve all been associated with greatness, both two-legged and four.

The first Jerry I knew was Jerry of Jerry and Louise Donoghue of Donoghue Arabian Farm in Goliad, Texas, my father’s hometown. Jerry Donoghue bred the world famous stallion, “Cass Ole,” who was born on their farm in 1969 and later became, yes you guessed it, THAT famous black stallion — THE Black Stallion, the one featured in the movie we all loved back in the day. Jerry’s granddaughter Jerry was our babysitter.

The next Jerry genre belonged to Jerry Mooty. My cousin met him at SMU in the late-1980s and he became her first husband the father of two pretty talented and amazing young men. Capa and Jerry have done a great job co-parenting them over the years in Dallas. Jerry is the nephew of another famous Jerry, yes THAT Jerry. Jerry Jones, who is pretty dang VIP for a Jerry.

But perhaps the most important Jerry-tale — the most VIP in my most humble opinion — belongs to Jerry Wilson. Jerry Wilson was my grandmother Bobbie’s helper and caregiver at the senior living community when she started needing extra assistance getting around. At first Jerry just helped her with things like putting the Thanksgiving dinner on or getting groceries from the store. But he eventually became her daily everything as Bobbie’s physical needs became more pronounced. Once the go-to assistant for five-star generals from nearby Fort Sam Houston Army Base in San Antonio, Jerry Wilson, with his perfectly slicked back hair and centered bolo tie, was at the ready for my grandmother nearly every day until her mid-90s passing. I know I have a photo of that trim, pale little man somewhere, but it remains hidden in one of the gigantic boxes of family photos lurking in my garage.

I don’t know about the other Jerrys in the world (I’m thinking probably not Jerry Jones) but I can tell you it is DEFINITELY the end of a G-era when it comes to hiring someone like Jerry Wilson to be a caregiver on the scene like that, every day forever more. It’s simply not reality. And there are many reasons for that.

First, hiring one person to be at your house providing your 24-7 in-home care is an unlikely scenario. One person simply cannot do that kind of work for that many hours. Second, it’s a tremendous liability. Hiring an individual or independent caregiver opens the door to potential lawsuits and worse. Third, you’re totes screwed if the caregiver can’t come to work due to illness or personal challenges. Plus, there are better options these days! It may be the end of a G-era, but it’s an exciting new time of geriatric-care-a services. If in-home caregiving is what you want — and you’ve saved enough G to pay for it! — then caregiving service companies provide the protections, seamless care and oversight that this big job demands.

Jerry may be at the bottom of the list these days, but geriatric care services are trending.

News you can use

Sniff out the latest Grand Plans piece in Sixty & Me, which reaches more than 500,000 60-plus-ers around the world, here.

And here’s the latest Grand Plans piece in agebuzz, an online source reaching more than 50,000 folks around the U.S.

Want local news? We’ve got you covered if you’re in Jacksonville, FL:

We also have you covered locally if you’re into live and in-person events this summer:

Grand Plans Podcast

I welcome any podcast guest suggestions! This season we’re talking to people who have been there done that. We’re talking about our experiences and lessons learned. Let me know if you want to be part of the conversation and sharing!

Geris-prudence

Read up on the legal considerations for hiring an independent in-home caregiver.

Advanced health and wellness

The grand sum

Paying for Long-Term Care, from the National Institute on Aging:

“Many caregivers and older adults worry about the costs of long-term care. These expenses can use up a significant part of monthly income, even for people who thought they had saved enough. How people pay for long-term care depends on their financial situation and the kinds of services they use.

Some people believe that their current health or disability insurance will pay for their long-term care needs, but most of these insurance policies include limited, if any, long-term care benefits. In most cases, people must find other means of paying for long-term care. They may rely on a variety of payment sources, including personal funds, federal and state government programs, and private financing options. Read on to find out more about each of these options.”

Shelf life

It’s time to make sure Amy Gunther’s bestselling book, Smarter Not Harder: The Seven Tenets of Mindful Fitness After 50 is on your summer reading list. This book includes smart fitness advice for people of all ages and fitness levels. It’s just basic common sense that we all need to remember when we exercise!

And of course, it’s also smart to remember to order a copy of Grand Plans and the Grand Planner for all your friends. Why not start a summer book club and hold each other accountable?

Shared experience

We can all learn from each other’s geri-scary moments. What are some of your takeaway lessons? What have you promised yourself you’ll never do to your loved ones? What worked for you? What didn’t? More conversation and story-sharing helps elevate the senior experience for all of us. If you want to share your grand tales, email susannabarton@me.com and I’ll put them in an upcoming newsletter.

Some golden gedunk and goods

Get yourself another few copies of Grand Plans: How to Mitigate Geri-Drama in 20 Easy Steps and the Grand Planner for all the people who like getting gifts in your life! Visit www.mygrandplans.com for links to purchase on Amazon.

And

Check out our Grand Plans merch in our Etsy storefront.