Senior News: Emergency? Use these tips to get help quickly

Cynthia Paez Bowman in her article “Calling 911: Helpful tips when reporting an emergency” on the CNET website suggests following these three steps to get help.

1. Dial 911 and take a deep breath.

Staying as calm as possible is critical so you can respond clearly and calmly. The 911 dispatcher is trained to follow a certain procedure to collect the information they need to get you help as quickly as possible.

2. Have important facts ready.

There are certain details the dispatcher will need right away: What is happening (is someone hurt, for example); what you need (police, fire, or ambulance); and your location (address, major landmarks, or businesses). If they ask for additional information, listen carefully and respond with the most detailed, but brief answers.

If you are unsure of your location, don’t panic. If you’re on a cellphone, 911 can probably locate you.

3. Stay on the phone.

Don’t hang up until the dispatcher says it’s safe to do so. In some cases, the dispatcher may even stay on the phone with you until help arrives.

In addition, did you know you can call 911 using any wireless phone? That’s even if the phone bill hasn’t been paid, there’s not a current phone plan, there’s no service, or the phone has been deactivated. The only issue is if you get disconnected, the dispatcher has no way to call you back.

Consequently, to avoid accidental 911 calls from an old phone, disconnect the battery before giving it away for example as a toy to your grandchild. If a 911 call is made accidentally, don’t hang up! Remain on the line and explain what happened.

Having to call 911 is never a pleasant experience. But since 1968 when 911 was introduced, it has become a lifeline to emergency services. Knowing how to provide important facts quickly and efficiently can help bring assistance as soon as possible.

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Brain Tease: A doctor and a bus driver are both in love with the same woman, an attractive girl named Sarah. The bus driver had to go on a long bus trip that would last a week. Before he left, he gave Sarah seven apples. Why?

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The name of the 1972-1977 television series starring Redd Foxx as a 65-year-old widower and junk dealer was Sanford and Son. (Redd Foxx’s birth name was John Elroy Sanford.) I received correct answers from Emmett Sampson, Doug Nelson, Rose Schulz, Donna Mollet, Dave Lutgens, Lana Tepfer, Rhonda Spies, Rebecca Abrams, Margo Dameier, and Patty Burnet, this week’s winner of a quilt raffle ticket. And last week I missed Lori Sobrero.

At the Mid-Columbia Car Club’s River Front Car Show in The Dalles (I’m still looking for a ‘63 Buick Skylark convertible from my high school and college days!), I chatted with a friend who told me the “Remember When” questions were too easy. So, this question from my childhood should be a bit more challenging. He is many years younger than I am!

There were several juvenile board games created before 1950: Candyland, Sorry, and this board game based on the children stories of an engaging elderly rabbit walking with “his candy-striped walking cane.”

For this week’s “Remember When” question, what was the name of this board game first introduced in 1916 where you race your token around the board past Wibble Wobble Duck Pond, Bow Wow Dog House, and Cluck Cluck Chicken House to Dr. Possum’s House at the end of the track? Email your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, leave a message at 541-296-4788, or mail it with a 1954 edition of the game.

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Well, it has been another week trying not to look too confused. Until we meet again, sometimes the wrong train will get you to the right station.

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“My definition of an intellectual is someone who can listen to the William Tell Overture without thinking of the Lone Ranger.” — Billy Connolly (which probably leaves most of us out!)

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Nutritious home-delivered and in-person meals are available at noon Monday through Friday unless otherwise noted.

Seniors of Mosier Valley (541-980-1157) — Mondays and Wednesdays; Hood River Valley Adult Center (541-386-2060); Sherman County Senior and Community Center (541-565-3191); The Dalles Meals-on-Wheels (541-298-8333).

For meal sites in Washington, call Klickitat County Senior Services — Goldendale office (509-773-3757) or the White Salmon office (509-493-3068); Skamania County Senior Services (509-427-3990).

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Answer: An apple a day keeps the doctor away!