Issues with elderly parents and some encouragement for Mr.

[Mr. Bloom]

Oh Mr. Silver, this is so very true. I'm so sorry.

Well, I'll add a little levity to the whole debate about the night that we swapped roles about 4 years ago:

They go to church on Saturday evenings. We made plans to pick them up at their house after church to go to dinner.

When we picked them up, Mom was upset - indicating that she 'nearly had a wreck' in the parking lot at church.

At dinner I inquired more...here's the story:

• She was backing out of her space
• Her foot was 'stuck' so she couldn't stop
• She 'may have hit' this car, but there was no damage
• Dad said: "she was saying she couldn't stop, but I couldn't GET OUT OF THE CAR TO STOP IT because of the the automatic door locks!"

Later, I inspected her car, saw another car's paint. Called the church, called the sheriff, but no complaints. Phew

So, that night, I had to counsel:

• my mother on the virtue of not leaving the scene of an accident , and
• my father on the prudence of not getting out of a moving car (at least not without his walker!!)

The next night, the police called to report a "hit and run"...there was $11,000 in damage done to the other car that mom "may have hit".

This is why I favor regular renewal of elderly licenses!

[cyclepixie]

LOL
That story reminds of when I started cycling after a 20 year gap and I said to my daughter -"well when I get too old to drive and they take my license away - at least I can still ride my bike"
So my daughter says " Ummmmm - Mom think about that!"
PS - Great job on 'the talk'

[Starfish]

Mr. Silver, thanks for your amusing story. It is true. Amidst all the angst of the past year, there were some really funny moments created by my mom's mental regression/disorientation.

One day when I was feeding her breakfast, she made a face like she no longer liked the breakfast she'd been eating for years (yogurt with almonds). I told her she didn't have to eat anything she didn't like.

She looked right at me and defiantly turned her head and spit a whole almond out as far as she could, about 8 feet, and then just looked at me sideways with a wicked smile, like she knew she'd done something naughty.

[maryellen]

thx for posting this, Mr Silver. especially your dad's comment about wanted to get out to stop the car. I'm in the midst of dealing w my 93 year old dad's decline over the past year and definitely needed some humor.

PS, years ago I had to report my father to the state authorities as someone whose driving abilities were questionable (he lives in Florida where they have a designated form for so doing). That was hard.

[quint41]

Hey, Silver .... might I just say ...

... quite a guy you've got there. I've got to find one like that!!



Take care.