The generations that came out of the tough times during 1920's and 1930's are nearly gone now. Senior folks who were young adults at the start of WWII are passing away at an alarming rate. These people were the backbone of America. They formed the fabric of our lives and the country we live in.
The "baby boomers" and the "sandwich generations" (my kids included) have had it much easier. There has been no cauldron to temper their resolve. No proving ground to test their life skills. It's all been handed to them, they're entitled. The stories we've been reading and hearing have been about greed and instant gratification. But no more. That gravy train left the station. Right now, times are really tough and we're going to find out what this generation is capable of doing.
Individually, their stories are timeless and most interesting. You can learn more about the American family dynamic from reading these stories than you can from any textbook on geriatrics.
I wish you could have known these incredible people.
TONY
Tony was referred to me by his broker. Tony was 91 years old at the time. He was living alone.
He was becoming forgetful and his mobility was impaired. I made an appointment to visit him in his penthouse apartment. He refused to let me in. Three months later the same scenario happened again. Three months after that, he fell and was hospitalized. I went to his hospital room and Tony and the nurse were having.an argument.
Tony wanted a pizza delivered and the nurse refused by saying "It's not good for you".
I said sweetly to the nurse: "Why not get him a pizza, he's 91 years old...do you think it will shorten his life?".
She reluctantly ordered it and I paid for it. Not exactly Bogie and Bacall, but it was the start of a wonderful friendship. From that point on, in Tony's eyes I could do no wrong.
Upon his hospital discharge, I arranged for a full time live-in aide for Tony. I arranged an alternative to his "cheap" HMO and got Tony back onto Medicare. I changed his doctors. I supervised his diet. With the broker's assistance I set up a monthly budget and then had my company pay his regular bills. I interacted with his adopted son and I encouraged Tony to show his abundant love for his granddaughter.
Each of my stories has some little morsel that readers of this blog should try and remember.
Here's today's lesson grasshopper:
You can't barge into someone's life. Change is a scary thing for seniors. They are very aware when they begin to fail and they fear the loss of their independence. They hide their infirmities from loved ones. It's difficult, but you have to let them fail on their own and then hope they'll accept some form of assistance.
Ronnee
No comments:
Post a Comment