LUCK BE A LADY (OVER EIGHTY)

A short while ago, I was driving back to work after my lunch hour. I had the radio on, but wasn't really listening all that closely until I heard an ad come on for Meadow Manner. Meadow Manner is the nursing home in Taylorville where my grandma lives, so it caught my attention enough that I began listening to the commercial.

The ad was describing some renovation that is taking place at the nursing home, as well as a new program it is offering called "Quick Steps." It said that Quick Steps is a program for people who only need to stay in the nursing home for a short while - say, a few weeks or months - following something like a fall or a surgery, just until they are able to return home. The ad began mentioning the rehabilitation portion of the program and touting that it provides practice with many independent-living activities through its own facilities. Residents are able to practice cooking in an actual kitchen, doing laundry with actual washing machines and dryers, exercising with onsite equipment, etc....I had just started to tune it out again when I heard the advertiser's voice began mentioning that there are so many fun and exciting activities for the residents to participate in, such as crafts, games, scrapbooking......and I swear, I am not making this up - - the last thing he said had something to do with a casino. And just like that - - he had my attention again.

Unfortunately, the advertiser didn't elaborate on the casino thing and the commercial ended. I know that I am not hearing things - - he definitely said something about a casino. I found it so humorous, I had to write about it. Perhaps that is why my grandma seems tired when I go to see her - - - maybe she spends her free time at the nursing home's casino until the wee hours of the morning. I can just picture her and the other residents, all lined up in their wheel chairs at the craps table. Since the residents don't handle actual money (it is instead placed on in an account for them, for things like the beauty shoppe), I wonder what they use to gamble with? Crackers from the dining room? Perhaps after awhile, they will have another activity to list for the nursing home - - Gambler's Anonymous.

Maybe the casino is strictly reserved for those in the Quick Steps program only - - you know, you have to keep on your activities if you are going to return home soon. Perhaps there are people that hesitate to have that surgery because they are afraid that during the recuperation, they will lose the ability to play three slot machines at the same time. And life skills are important you know -- - A person wouldn't want to forget how to scramble eggs or separate whites from colored clothes.....or when to double down in Blackjack.