Of course, with COVID-19 still with us (despite the light being there at the end of the tunnel), we must concentrate on the more solitary pursuits unless you have a big enough bubble to play a game.
So this year it might be fun to take Maggie’s pop quiz to test your knowledge, increase your skills and alleviate your holiday anxieties. The answers to the questions are all true or false, and the answer key is at the end of the column. For hints to the answers see my past columns here.
1. Community organizations were forced to shut their doors to seniors during the COVID-19, pandemic and at the same time have failed to create activities to assist them. True or False?
2. At this time of year and during the COVID-19 pandemic, getting out for a walk can have significant benefits. True or False?
3. Seniors contribute nothing to their community, instead they are a drain on resources and the economy. True or False?
4. According to research, the No. 1 emerging issue for seniors in Canada is keeping older people socially connected and active. True or False?
5. Adults aged 60 and up have fared better emotionally compared to younger adults (18–39) and middle-aged adults (40–59) amid the COVID-19 pandemic. True or False?
6. Keeping flu, colds, and pneumonia at bay by getting our shots will assist us in getting through the winter months and help protect us from serious complications from COVID-19. True or False?
7. On the North Shore in 2016, there were 35,385 people over the age of 65, or almost 20 per cent of the population of the three North Shore municipalities. True or False?
8. Many businesses and organizations have donation programs for seniors on the North Shore. True or False?
9. If you look at persons 85 and over, almost everyone has a diagnosis of dementia. True or False?
10. One great thing about the North Shore, there are no homeless seniors or seniors living in poverty. True or False?
11. Though people of all ages can be victims of fraud, older people get targeted less than others. True or False?
12. In the COVID-19 reality, caregiving has become more challenging and made the lives of both the caregiver and those they care for more complex. True or False?
13. There are no strategies for seniors to manage the winter challenges. True or False?
14. For seniors who may have been more isolated and challenged because COVID-19 curtailed their usual activities, the good weather changed nothing. True or False?
15. Paradoxically, strategies meant to keep seniors safe during COVID-19 have also caused serious issues for many including increased anxiety, loneliness, isolation and decreased physical and mental activity. True or False?
16. There is a lack of information sources for seniors on the North Shore. True or False?
17. Older adults have a lower volunteer rate than younger age groups, but they contribute, on average, more hours per year. True or False?
18. While most people take common-sense precautions to prevent diseases, one of the least necessary prevention measures is the practice of good oral health. True or False?
19. There are over a million people providing unpaid care for adult family members and friends in British Columbia. True or False?
20. Being isolated for a senior is as unhealthy as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. True or False?
21. It has been reported that for people with disabilities there are no significant improvements in the physical environment, transit, sidewalks and building accessibility on the North Shore. True or False?
22. Seniors’ Centres on the North Shore are well funded and do not need our support. True or False?
23. It is a good strategy to aim high when setting goals for your new year’s resolutions. True or False?
Hope you had fun with my quiz. Have a happy holiday season and thanks for reading my column.
Let me know how you did with the answer key below:
Questions 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 12, 15, 17, 19 and 20 are true. All the rest are false.
Margaret Coates is the co-ordinator of Lionsview Seniors’ Planning Society. She has lived on the North Shore for 50 years and has worked for and with seniors for 20 of those years. Ideas for future columns are welcome Email: lions_view@telus.net
