Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, January 21, 1994 TAG: 9401210083
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RON BROWN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
This week, she's been heeding it.
For nearly a week, the South Florida native who is a psychologist at Lewis-Gale Clinic has been isolated in her Botetourt County home because of icy highways that could not thaw under the siege of the Big Chill of '94.
At the same time, her son, Tom, 33, is living 12 miles from the epicenter of an earthquake that rocked Southern California on Monday.
They've talked on the telephone daily to let each other know they're surviving.
"It's like he needs the reassurance," Byrd said. "It's good for me, because I worried about him."
In her professional capacity, Byrd knows that some people - particularly the elderly - do not have relatives to check on them.
After a week of isolation due to the cold weather that has staggered Western Virginia, she has become increasingly sympathetic.
"I think some people have feelings of isolation and helplessness," she said. "They have no one to call. If their minds aren't sharp, they don't know what to do."
That confusion can lead them to abandon routines, such as taking medications, feeding themselves properly and even making sure they are dressed warmly.
"When they panic, they don't know what to do," she said.
Preparation is the best defense, Byrd says. She suggests that neighbors take responsibility for calling senior citizens who live alone. She said family and neighbors ought to make sure that the elderly have proper supplies of food, first aid items and a flashlight or candles in case the lights go out.
Byrd said a neighborhood watch group could be set up to check on the welfare of people who live alone.
While the elderly are particularly vulnerable to isolation, Byrd said, parents have to work to calm their children's fears and to make them aware of the dangers of cold weather.
"Children think in concrete terms," she said. "It has to be explained what the consequences are."
Both children and the elderly need reassurance that the situation will pass.
Steve Strosnider, Byrd's boss, said the restrictions of cold weather can be felt by all family members.
"I think everyone feels a loss of control," Strosnider said. "They don't have the mobility or flexibility that they normally have. You have a loss of freedom."
That loss can be accompanied by feelings of anxiety, stress and anger, Strosnider said.
Families have to find constructive ways to deal with that.
"We all require a sense of space," Strosnider said. "Being in such close quarters for such a period of time brings about irritability. That can lead to a lot of family arguments."
Families can cope by trying to look on their battle with isolation as an adventure instead of dwelling on the restrictions they feel, Strosnider said.
Time inside is well-spent finishing household chores.
Byrd agrees.
"I'm a very active person and this passivity is kind of tough," Byrd said. "I've washed all my sweaters and shined all my shoes. I even cleaned the bottoms of my copper pots. I guess when the going gets tough, the tough wash sweaters."
by CNB