Helping those who are in need

Dear Heloise: My elderly mother recently had hip surgery, and we insisted she stay with us as she recovered. Of course, this meant there had to be some changes and preparations for her stay at our home. First, I attached sleigh bells to her walker at night and made sure it was always within arm’s reach. This way, if she needed me, she only had to reach over and shake the walker. We had to prop one leg up for a couple hours a day for a while, so when the doctor said something soft but firm, I put a towel around a six pack of toilet paper and slipped it into a pillowcase. It worked better than a pillow. We put night lights in her room so she could see her way to the bathroom. There were more changes, but these were her favorites and made her life easier, which resulted in a speedy recovery. — Judy P., Lenox, Mass.

Judy, these are all excellent ideas. I hope your mother is feeling much better now. — Heloise

Dietary concerns

Dear Heloise: My daughter is entering her teens years, and I’m concerned with her weight. All of her friends are very thin, but my daughter has always been a little “pudgy.” Now she’s on this kick to lose at least 20 pounds before school starts in the fall. She wants to try some fad diet called the “ice cream diet,” but I put my foot down and refused to let her live on ice cream. As of last night she is refusing to eat.

Why does society put pres- sure on our young women to be super thin? Yes, she could lose some weight, but not like this. I talked to her this morning and offered to help her but refused to allow her to use any diet pills.

Where do I go from here?

— Leigh S., Somerset, Pa.

Leigh, take your daughter to a doctor who specializes in weight management and start over. Losing 20 pounds might not be in her best inter- ests. Have the doctor explain to her what happens when she follows a poor nutrition diet. Help her at home with healthy meals of vegetables, some fruit and protein, with plenty of fresh, clean water to wash it all down. She needs to change her eating habits rather than try a fad diet.

—Heloise

Body lotion

Dear Heloise: On cold winter mornings, I like to give my body lotion a 25 second zap in my micro- wave to warm it up after I shower. This seems to help my body absorb the lotion a little better and feels so nice on my skin. I walk about three blocks to work each workday, and the body lotion helps to protect my legs from looking like alligator skin! — Taylor F., New York City

Smooth elbows

Dear Heloise: I’ve found that if I scrub the dry areas on my elbows and knees with baking soda, then apply a lotion (glycerin and rose water are my favorites), I can avoid that rough look- ing skin I get if I don’t use baking soda. — Shelly W., Milbank, S.D.