Ideas for handicapped survival issues‏

The following article was written by my friend Rick Davis who also lives in Argentina. I really like the way Rick thinks and rationalizes things. In many ways my beloved 86 year old grandmother is setup in a similar way. She lives in a downtown area of the Bs. As. suburbs, has services near by, WALKS to buy whatever she needs. Has a little grocery cart so as not to carry weight. (yes, before you even ask, there’s the pic. These are used a lot here by older folks) 

She lives in a 4^th floor so she’s dependant on electricity and has to stay put during blackouts, but other than that she manages by herself. Key to her situation has been building relationships with the people that live nearby. She has her neighbors in case she’s in need of immediate help. For a few bucks the building manager does some handyman repairs on her condo in his spare time, or she asks me to do it. There’s also my aunt, who helps out when she needs anything and of course I help too, driving her to the doctor and such. Family is so important, its simply one of those things you realize as time goes by. As Rick explains, you eventually get older and end up needing assistance. My grandmother grew up in a farm, living off the land during the Spanish civil war and experienced first hand what many just theorize about. Its not easy to live off a farm during wartime, when food is being confiscated and rationed. She did not set up a farm when she moved to Argentina and she knew well enough what to do and how to set up her life as she grew older. My grandfather, may he rest in peace, he bought a couple condos after retiring. Its those same condos plus her retirement that allows her to afford what she needs and pay for things, including a top quality private health plan which already saved her life more than once. Even after an economic collapse and hyperinflation before that, the condos still get her the money she needs to live. Two well located condos is ok, three is better. Think about that when planning how you will survive after retiring.

Enjoy Rick´s article and take care,

FerFAL

Ideas for handicapped survival issues‏

Saludos from Argentina… Reading entries and comments on various survival blogs, I see that the handicapped folks who are preppers have a tough time. I have given the issues facing that part of our prepper community some thought, and I believe our lives are enriched by the contributions of all of us… including the handicapped. It would be nice if the needs of the elderly and handicapped for prepping could be discussed a bit.

Now, we all know that the needs of a growing young family with kids is the very most complex set of needs for which to prep. The needs of a handicapped person, living alone, are very different. We all hope to never be alone in life, but as we age, our support group disappears on us. As we age, the years take their toll and we start acting handicapped. If we live long enough, we outlive our strength, our stamina, and our ability to sustain significant physical hardship. Prepping while young, we may wish to keep the needs of a handicapped person living alone in mind, as a possibility to consider when making prep decisions.

I did some volunteer work for a charity in aid of the handicapped and elderly whose support systems had disappeared. A Texas state court judge would establish the individual as a ward of the state and send in our charity to assess the needs and we would usually become the ad litem guardian for the client. We saw some pretty grim sights, working for the court in that role.

So, how should our life and prep decisions be handled in such a way as to try to take the needs of handicapped persons living alone? Let’s start with where we choose to live.

Independent living for seriously handicapped persons requires access to mass transit and handicapped services. While living in a cabin out in the boonies may be appealing to the hardier souls among us, drastic upheavals and relocations are required when the person’s independence is compromised. As an avid reader of FerFAL and the commentators on his blog, I get the feeling that not everyone has the option to sell everything they own and move to the country where the additional land can be put to good use for growing food. Those who have good jobs and/or other reasons to have to go town every day can bear witness to the physical, mental and financial cost. In the event a prepper outlives their means of independent living in a remote location, they may wish they had chosen to live in a small town or suburb wherein a degree of assistance may be available, and with easy access to services.

An important consideration seems to be the possibility of organizing a group of handicapped persons living together to maintain their independence as long as possible. Two handicapped persons may be able to extend their independent living time by several years by pooling resources and helping one another. If you are a handicapped person with a large home with lots of spare space, you may want to consider looking for a roommate… or, two or three. You may want to talk to Adult Protective Services of your state government to see if they have some likely roommate candidates in your area. They will also be interested in referring you to someone with a home seeking roommates if you without your own home, but are looking for such a place to rent or share. Also, it is my experience that social workers and service providers like to be able to have groups of clients in close proximity to one another, so such clients get better services or a higher level of service.

Another consideration… try to pick a state to live in where handicapped services are more available. The states with the highest tax rates are often the least favorable states because they tend to be the poorest managers of resources. Some handicapped persons must go into nursing homes at an earlier time than might otherwise be necessary due to the lack of handicap van or public transportation to facilitate doctor visits, medical treatment visits, etc. which are typically available only in the better run jurisdictions.

My wife and I own a place in a town of 600,000 population within the “micro-center” of the town. That means we don’t need a car to get around. Our home is on the same water and power grid as the provincial government offices, the traffic and criminal courts, the cathedral, etc. so we would not be without essential services very long. The roof might need a bit of additional structural support to be able to build multi-level growing pods for veggies, etc. but, I already have a pellet rifle to bag some pigeons for the stewpot! As a sailor, I know how to rig canvas to trap and route rainwater into catchments that can be used to supplement stored water. I also know how to run out naked into the rain to shower off with my bar of soap in my hand, but I worry about the hi-rise apartment neighbors having nightmares from such a sight. Sailors also know all kinds of ways to live off the grid with 12 volt systems power and combining solar and wind sources with banks of batteries to be charged for storage, tricks for storing food without refrigeration, and interesting ways of boiling water… the basis for many a fine one-pot meal. While our storage space is severely limited compared to normal US architecture, we are able to build up some small storage capabilities for food, water and essential consumables. Services and mass transit available here are the best I’ve seen, and handicap vans are passing by day and night.

Our place was bought in 1990 when 3 teenagers lived at home. It is fairly unsuitable in terms of handicapped living, but the location and services available within walking distance are great. It is up a flight of stairs, and inside, the wheelchair access is fairly limited. But, it is big enough to invite 3 – 5 roommates to share our space. If they were handicapped, we could combine resources with these other people to hire specialists to help us with our mobility and medical issues.  If the day ever comes where we need roommates, we are 3 blocks from an important university, and in the same area as the local Law School, and should be able to attract young renters, if we decide to go that route. If our mobility issues ever get so difficult we need to move, the 6 – 8 students we could house would pay for our first-floor accommodation elsewhere.

If you are house hunting for your young, growing family, it is wise to consider…

. are there stairs and other handicap barricades?

. is there room to rent out living space to other people after the kids are grown?

. what are the support structure and public transportation issues in the area?

. what are the high-density veggie growing options on the property?

If you plan on dying young and missing all the heartache of watching your body deteriorate and your life options shrink, think again. You may be disappointed.

Suerte -CapnRick

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Alternative forms of Transportation

Seems that in the “Gas and Food Prices” post, one of the key points was transportation and how to move around or go to the city, carry whatever needs to be carried or purchased and doing so spending a minimum amount of money, time and energy.

Here are a couple comments I’d like to address;

Anonymous said…

Even in cities and close packed towns you can only do so much with a bike or scooter.

You can’t take home a lot of groceries on a bike or scooter. Can’t make stops at 3-4 stores to pick this & that up, I don’t see how you’re going to take a child or two to school or day care…and forget about it in the winter.
Don’t bet the farm on a bike or scooter. Without a car American life changes dramatically!

Exactly, the point being it WILL change dramatically if there’s no other choice left. Your points are correct, of course you can carry lots of stuff and people in a big car, and off course we’d all love to drive around a big fancy pickup truck, or even an old one. But what if you can’t afford it anymore? What if you can’t even afford the price to fuel it? That’s the point of this discussion, we already know that its nicer to carry a hundred pound of goods and several people in your car, have AC during summer, but at some point there will be people that simply wont be able to do so, that’s the issue some people may eventually have to deal with, and they will if they don’t have any other option.

Darryll Anderson said…

back when scooters or under 100cc motorcycles cost $300 new and $50 used (1970′s), they were great…now spending $1000 for a 20 year old junker to $13,000 for a vespa is kinda pointless. my car gets 36mpg and new it was only $13k (toyota yaris) new. i see them for $3000 used with 50k miles and a toyota is just getting going at 50k miles….!

unless you get a small motobike for cheap/free..i dont see the point…?
also…if you want a real laugh, look at the prices for electric bicycles…LOL!

March 29, 2011 11:54 AM

Scooters, mopeds and such only make sense when affordable. Around here you do see a good amount of mopeds but its not crazy as in Asian countries.

People that just can’t afford any better mostly stick to these two, and there may be something to be learned about these typical 3^rd world alternatives.

1) Horse and cart. Its usually the choice of the extreme poor. The poor horses are sometimes kept in awful conditions, only to die soon and be replaced by another one, often stolen. You see these horses pulling carts full of paper and cardboard, sometimes picking glass, metal, anything they can sell, therefore their slang name “botelleros” (something like bottle scavengers) The carts are made from anything, from wood, to metal, I’ve even seen large fridges being used. They often include a scavenged car axis for wheels.

2) The bicycle is a classic for the poor around here. Its used so much that trains have special wagons for people with bikes so they can hook them up and stand next to them. And yes, I’ve seen parents take one, even two kids to school on a bike, one seated on the knees, the other seated in the back structure intended to hold a small package. In spite of this, the bicycle, while relatively fast and practical, it still has a very limited cargo capability. I’ve done the 7 lakes trail in Patagonia with my bike and used side saddles. In spite of this I see its not practical for when you need to carry grocery bags and such.

Still, there’s an alternative that I’ve seen a lot here and mentioned it before in the blog because I really like the idea. I’ve seen it used a good amount, people carrying considerable loads, including mowing machines and more. The good old 3-wheel bicycle. Locally its often custom made, but it can be bought directly from some bicycle manufacturers as well.

Schwinn Meridian Adult 26-Inch 3-Wheel Bike (Blue)

The advantages? A lot more cargo space. The ability to carry heavy stuff, not only more volume. The tricycle is much more stable too. Some of the comments I read on Amazon are by people that have some sort of injury, age or disability, and can’t move around a bicycle or have trouble keeping balance, but can handle one of these 3 wheelers all right.

Its really isn’t a bad idea for short distances. Yes, I understand you cant carry half a ton of stuff like with a pickup. That’s where you have to compensate for the limitation with creativity and just cope with it. Since you’re also working out, it could be part of a daily or 3 time a week routine, getting groceries with it or whatever, compensating for the lack of space with more trips combined with the exercise. Anyway, just think its and interesting concept and see it used here often enough.

Take care folks and see you around.

FerFAL
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EDC Bag Size?

Ferfal,
I watched your video on the EDC bag and had a question. I found the
bag on The North Face web site and it comes in x-small, small, medium,
and large. Which is the size you show in your video? BTW, I bought
your book off Amazon.com and really enjoyed it. Have been following
your blog and Facebook pages.
Thanks,
Steve

Hi Steve, the one I have is the Small one. Red may be better suited for an emergecny kit rather than an everyday carry bag.

The North Face Base Camp Messenger Bag Black Small
I sometimes find myself needing a bit more space. In that case a medium or large one would be better.
FerFAL

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Gas and Food Prices

FerFAL:
I live near 3 towns in rural Virginia in the U.S. I used to notice one person walking to the shopping centers about once a week, but now notice several people a day. And there are no sidewalks available where they have to walk, as most of our towns were only built for car access. Many people in town are nearly 2 miles from the nearest shopping center, and country folks 10-15 miles. I’m also seeing quite a few more motor scooters being used on the roads. Unfortunately, I’ve been reading that the bus service in many communities in the US are actually decreasing their services as their demand has grown.
Most people in the US have NEVER used buses, bicycles, or walked to work or shopping, and they will have a terrible time making the transition. I have experience with all three and will be willing to make the change when it becomes necessary, but I am now disabled and can’t walk more than 1/2 mile on my good days, and don’t have any bus service within 2 miles of me. I’ll probably end up needing to use a motor scooter, but I’m afraid of it being stolen. My sister had two mopeds stolen during the gas crisis of the 70′s, and gave up using them.
I have had to survive on a part-time job for the last 3 years, so my personal budget is extremely tight. I will probably have to give up my car at some point, but I don’t know how practical it will be to use a motor scooter in the winter snow. I have many years experience in growing much of my own food, but my disability is now making this extremely difficult. I have been brain-storming how to survive the coming hard times, but it has been very challenging to find solutions. I wish us all the best in making the necessary adjustments!
Debra

Hi Debra, thanks a lot for your email. I’m sure a lot of people can relate to what you have to say and as things get worse, this sort of thing will become more and more common.
I’d try to keep the car, using it as little as possible. One thing people do around here is organize trips with friends and neighbors. Splitting the cost of gasoline between two or three makes it much cheaper.
Take care Debra,

FerFAL
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MTE M2 5-Mode Focusable Flashlight by Greg Mcgee

Review of antoher MTE flashlight from Greg Mcgee Engineering.
This is the M2 5 mode Focusable Model that uses 18650 rechargable batteries. This same light comes in a version that uses 3xAAA batteries. This is supposed to be a  170 lumen light, but  its clearly not since its obviously brighter than 200 lumen flashlights. Greg told me that he preffers to underrate his flashlights. Anyway, you’re pleasantly surprised when you turn it on and its much brighter than you expected.
The bezel moves back and forth going from flood to throw. In full throw mode, it will throw further away than none focusable 1000 lumen flashlights, while on an intermediate or full flood position and in a medium or low mode its a good general purpose lights. I find Greg “batman beacon” to be accurate, it clearly generates a distinctibe concentrated “beam” of light.  If your property is surrounded by outdoors  or you see the need of having a light that really reaches across significant distances, then this one will work nicely.
It comes in both q5 and R5 (+$8,00) The light with the Q5 LED costs $28,95, but I’d get the R5 version. Not only because its a newer, brighter and more powerful Cree LED, but also because the emitter is round, while the Q5 is square, and when on full forward position (maxium concentration of the beam) you see the square shape of the LED. Not a big deal but I like it better if its round like the R5.
As always remember there are MTE flashlights  elseware but you only know you’re getting original MTE flashlights when buying directly from the MTE-USA brand owner, Greg McGee.



FerFAL
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