I did go to the hair salon every three weeks to have my hair cut.  No more.  During the pandemic shut-down when the salon was closed, I cut it myself.  Yesterday the salon called to make an appointment for a haircut and I told them I don’t need them anymore.  I’ll continue doing it myself.

I think that those who can, need to learn to do more for ourselves.  The biggest advantage in moving to a Continuous Care Retirement Community (CCRC) was to have everything close at hand along with continuous care if needed.  A resident can start in an independent living villa or cottage and then move to an apartment or personal care or nursing section as needed.  CCRCs also have banking branches, hair salons, dining rooms, entertainment, physical therapy and exercise facilities, etc.  We also have a pendant to push if we need a nurse to come at any time.  And then along comes a pandemic and many of these advantages are shut down or severely limited … most things were/are limited except the nurses on call and free delivery of meals.

Having no access for a short time is tolerable.  But, if the pandemic goes on for longer and longer, or one is replaced with another and another, some of the advantages of a CCRC start to evaporate.  I think we are going to need to develop alternative ways to do all of the things we came to love having on campus, or do without.  We are going to need to learn to do more ourselves, find alternatives, and live more like hermits.

Those who think this pandemic is going to be over soon and that we will go back to living normal aren’t reading the news.  It is showing no signs of ending.  In addition, there is news of a potential new flu becoming pandemic in nature next fall.