Lowell) and Tom Petrolati (D-Ludlow) who each missed 12 roll calls (45.4 percent attendance record). Rounding out the Top Five are THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2020 José Tosado: Did not respond to repeated requests by Beacon Hill Roll Call for a comment. 2020 REPRESENTATIVES’ ATTHE HOUSE AND SENATE. Once again, the focus on Beacon Hill last week was the Coronavirus. Only a handful of legislators were at the House and Senate sessions in order to limit contact. There were no roll call votes in the House or Senate as both branches met in informal sessions in which there can be no roll calls and it only takes one member to stop the proceedings if he or she disagrees with anything. “You have to realize, in informal sessions that only one person can stop the entire proceedings if they object to something, and I think that right now we’ve been doing everything in our power that we can to make sure that we take care of a lot of the healthcare needs and a lot of the other needs that we are going through in these very unprecedented times,” said House Speaker Bob DeLeo. Beacon Hill Roll Call reports on the Coronavirus and also reports on local representatives’ roll call attendance records for the 2020 session through March 27. The House has held 22 roll call votes so far in 2020. Beacon Hill Roll Call tabulates the number of roll calls on which each representative was present and voting and then calculates that number as a percentage of the total roll call votes held. That percentage is the number referred to as the roll call attendance record. In the House, 139 of the 157 representatives (88.5 percent) have 100 percent roll call attendance records. Only 18 representatives have missed any roll calls. The representatives who missed the most roll calls were Reps. Bruce Ayers (D-Quincy), Rady Mom (DReps. José Tosado (D-Springfi eld) who missed 11 roll calls (50.0 percent attendance record) and Lori Ehrlich (D-Marblehead) who missed eight (63.6 percent attendance record.) Beacon Hill Roll Call contacted those five legislators and asked them for a comment on their attendance record. Only two responded. Rep. Ayers: “This percentage is not an accurate description of my voting history. I was on an offi cial business trip with city leaders to increase our investment in economic partnerships between the city of Quincy and County Cork, Ireland, during which time I missed 12 votes in two days. This is not refl ective of my service in the legislature, as I’ve always maintained a 99 percent voting record in the House.” Rep. Ehrlich: “My mother, Diana Litman, passed away on February 27, 2020 after a nine-year struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. Sometimes, while trying to be present and engaged on behalf of my constituents, life has other plans. But judging from the outpouring of love and wonderful stories from those who knew her well tells me that it’s also okay to pause once in a while, as I did recently at the end of my mother’s life, to be present for her and the rest of my family.” Rady Mom: Did not respond to repeated requests by Beacon Hill Roll Call for a comment. Tom Petrolati: Did not respond to repeated requests by Beacon Hill Roll Call for a comment. TENDANCE RECORD THROUGH MARCH 27 The percentage listed next to the representative’s name is the percentage of roll call votes for which the representative was present and voting. The number in parentheses represents the number of roll calls that he or she missed. Rep. Bob DeLeo 100 Percent (0) Rep. RoseLee Vincent 100 Percent (0) HOW LONG WAS LAST WEEK’S SESSION? Beacon Hill Roll Call tracks the length of time that the House and Senate were in session each week. Many legislators say that legislative sessions are only one aspect of the Legislature’s job and that a lot of important work is done outside of the House and Senate chambers. They note that their jobs also involve committee work, research, constituent work and other matters that are important to their districts. Critics say that the Legislature does not meet regularly or long enough to debate and vote in public view on the thousands of pieces of legislation that have been fi led. They note that the infrequency and brief length of sessions are misguided and lead to irresponsible late-night sessions and a mad rush to act on dozens of bills in the days immediately preceding the end of an annual session. During the week of March 2327, the House met for a total of 11 hours and 25 minutes while the Senate met for a total of fi ve hours and 30 minutes Mon. March 23 House 11:08 a.m. to 1:22 p.m. Senate 11:15 a.m. to 1:29 p.m. Tues. March 24 No House session Wed. March 25 No House session No Senate session No Senate session. Thurs. March 26 House 11:00 a.m. to 4:07 p.m. Senate 11:07 a.m. to 2:23 p.m. Fri. March 27 House 11:00 a.m. to 3:04 p.m.No Senate session Bob Katzen welcomes feedback at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com Page 13 avavvyy enioroniior avvy Senior avvy vy Dear Concerned, Because the elderly and people with chronic medical conditions are the most vulnerable to the new coronavirus, following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guideline of social distancing and staying home is critically important. Here are some additional tips and recommendations from the CDC and public health specialists that can help keep your elderly mother safe and healthy while she’s hunkering down at home until the pandemic passes. Know and follow the other CDC recommendations: Make sure you and your mom know and practice the CDC recommendations for older adults and those with compromised health conditions. Some of their guidelines – like washing your hands and avoid touching your face – you’re probably already familiar with, but there are many other recommendations and they’re constantly changing. For the complete list visit Coronavirus. gov – click on “Older Adults & Medical Conditions.” Have supplies on hand: Start by contacting your mom’s healthcare provider to ask about obtaining extra necessary medications to have on hand for a prolonged period of time. If she cannot get extra medications, consider using mail-order for medications so she can avoid going into a pharmacy. Also be sure you have over-the-counter medicines and medical supplies to treat fever and other symptoms. She should also have enough groceries and household items on hand so that she can stay at home for an extended period of time. If she needs to restock supplies, there’s online grocery delivery options like Amazon Fresh, Instacart, Peapod, Target and Walmart, and a growing number of stores including Walmart, Target, Whole Foods, Dollar General and many other that are offering early dedicated shopping times to vulnerable seniors to reduce ennioorniiori How to Protect Your Elderly Parents from Coronavirus Dear Savvy Senior, I’m concerned about my 80-year-old mother who’s at high risk for coronavirus. She lives on her own about 100 miles from me, and I’ve been keeping close tabs on her since this whole pandemic started. What tips can you off er long-distance family members? Concerned Daughter their risk of being exposed to the virus. There are also home delivery meal programs that can help home-bound seniors – see MealsOnWheelsAmerica. org to locate one in your mom’s area. Or, check out companies like Silver Cuisine (SilverCuisine.com) or Mom’s Meals (MomsMeals.com) that deliver nutritious pre-cooked meals to seniors that can be heated up in the microwave. Use technology: For many seniors, social distancing can also lead to social isolation and loneliness, which is a common problem in the older population. If your mom has a computer, tablet or smartphone, she can stay connected to friends and relatives via videocalls through Skype, Zoom or FaceTime, which is a safe alternative. If your mom isn’t familiar or comfortable with mainstream technology there are other solutions like the GrandPad (GrandPad.net), which is a simplifi ed 4G tablet designed for seniors 75 and older that allows one-touch videocalls, email and much more. For peace of mind, there are also check-in services like Snug (SnugSafe.com) that send free daily check-ins to your mom’s phone to confi rm she’s OK. And, will let you know if she doesn’t respond. Skip nonessential doctor’s appointments: Most public health experts are also recommending that seniors at risk cancel nonessential doctor’s appointments. If your mom has a condition that she feels should not be put off, see if a telemedicine session, which is now covered by Medicare would be an option. Talk to caregivers: If your mom uses a home health or home care service, that means a number of different aides may be coming through her door. Be sure you talk to the agency she uses or her aides about hygiene. They should all be reminded to wash their hands or use hand gel sanitizer frequently. And any equipment they bring into your mom’s home should be wiped down with disinfectant. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.
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