UnNameTags and Other Nuggets

Nuggets of Advice related to seniors in RantWoman's orbit who are transitioning to retirement communities:

1. The Marketing department is probably not going to tell you about the jackhammers. RantWoman has visited the new home of a dear friend, known affectionately as Grandma FF. RantWoman has not visited at a weekday hour when the jackhammers working on various flavors of construction at the facility are in operation. RantWoman suggested a noise cancelling sound source of some kind as well as completely ear-covering headphones. At first RantWoman's friend demurred but then she accidentally stumbled onto something quite satisfactory at Best Buy.

2. Via Sunday Supper with RantMom conversation: RantWoman has her own custom reusable UnNameTag. The UnNameTag says "Please Tell me Your Name" on one side in the largest letters that will fit. On the other side it has RantWoman's name. There is a yarn hanger to go around RantWoman's neck. The UnNameTag is larger than the usual paper label and is laminated, laminated in fact with the plastic sheet material RantWoman uses for some kinds of Braille labeling. When people ask about the UnNameTag RantWoman says she cannot read other people's nametags unless she is indecently close.
    RantMom has a church buddy who has just moved into a different retirement community. She cannot read nametags at all no matter how near or far she is. RantWoman does not know Church Buddy at all, but RantWoman is THRILLED to hear that the unNameTag concept is helping her get to know all her new neighbors.   
   RantWoman has also just spent a weekend at a state blindness convention. One always exciting adventure point of blindness conventions is people learning their way around a hotel including rooms, restaurant or dining options, and meeting or activity spaces. At conventions there are usually flocks of volunteers to assist but RantWoman imagines that learning to navigate a new home would also be a challenge and sends RantMom's Church buddy much care and support about that!