Meal Planning and Shopping
This has become more important since Covid-19. Shop once a week. The least busiest times for grocery shopping are early morning or early evening. Always check store hours before you go out. Some stores have shorter hours. Be prepared to wait in line outside the store as physical distancing is in place (bring a book!). Don’t wait until the store is ready to close, you may not get in. Be patient and kind to other shoppers and the clerks who are checking you out!
You may have someone else doing your shopping. Spend time writing out your list for them. If you are familiar with the store that they shop in, try to itemize your list in order of the isle. For example – fresh produce is usually at the front of the store and frozen foods and dairy are farthest away from the check out. It makes if quite a bit more difficult with physical distancing in the store if your shopper needs to run back and forth between isles. Remember that stores may be out of certain items and you may not get everything on your list. It is important not to criticize or get upset with your support person.
Drug stores
These stores generally have delivery services. Most will require a debit or credit card for home delivery and they will ask you questions about your health before they will deliver your prescription. They are not accepting cash transactions during Covid-19. If you are unable to pay with a debit or credit card, you should ask a friend or support person to pick it up for you. Drug stores are also limiting the amount of drugs they are dispensing. If you usually have a 3 month supply you will only receive a 1 month supply. Keep track of when you will need to re-order. Drug stores offer online prescription renewals.
Food Delivery
Many restaurants are offering online orders with free delivery, and if you can, it’s really nice to support these businesses at this time. People are ordering in more than ever and some restaurants will be very busy around dinnertime preparing your food for delivery. Be prepared to wait longer for your delivery and re-heat food when it arrives. They are doing their best!
Utilities
Guelph Hydro has reduced their peak rates for hydro usage. Yeah! We can do laundry in the middle of the day and not wait until 9 pm.
Health Questions
If you are feeling ill, the best resource is to call Telehealth Ontario.
Toll-free: 1-866-797-0000
Toll-free TTY: 1-866-797-0007
In a medical emergency don’t call Telehealth. Call 911 immediately.
They are experiencing a high volume of calls and will get to your call as quickly as they can.
If you have questions about COVID-19, please take this self-assessment to determine if you need to seek further care before calling Telehealth Ontario.
All of us will have good days and bad days. This is just our new reality. Reach out to your friends and/or family. Don’t be afraid to reach out to professionals as well if you need to. They are amazing!
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