No Independence for one 80 year old man.

Serving Seniors Blog: July 7, 2010

I hope everyone had a safe and happy 4th of July celebration. I was thinking of the actual meaning of Independence Day and I came across an article in the newspaper that struck a nerve with me. It was about becoming totally dependent on others which means no independence.

The article was about an 80 year old man who was found trapped in his bed for two entire days as his arm was wedged between the mattress and the headboard of his bed. The sad discovery was made after an acqaintance from out of town tried unsuccessfully to call the elderly man for two days and he hadn’t answered the phone. Neighbors told officers that they hadn’t seen the man for two days. The windows and doors to the home were locked and the shades were drawn. No one answered the door when responding officers knocked, but the garage door had been left opened and a vehicle was parked inside.

The article continued to say that the officers were able to get inside the house where they discovered the man trapped in his bed. That poor man had been lying alone, a prisoner of his own bed for two days, was severly dehydrated and delusional. No food, no water, no bathroom, no one to see him trapped for two days and 80 years old. Just helplessness and in a panic. It saddened me to think of that poor man and what it must have been like for him. Or did he really grasp his situation over time because he became delusional?

Can you imagine what could have happened to that elderly man if no one called for him or never took action? He was lucky to have been found alive. There was a time when this man had his independence, but in his elderly state had become totally dependent on others to make critical decisions for him.

This type of situation happens all too often. It reminds me of adult children and grandchildren who become alienated from their parents or grandparents for many reasons. The outcome of these situations is never good as the elderly adult is often neglected, though that’s never anyone’s intent.

A qualified, Professional Geriatric Care Manager (PGCM) can help people and families avoid terrible situations like this. PCGM’s don’t have the emotional issues which many times, cause the family to stay away. They are trained in all areas of elder care so things like this never happen.

It’s situations like this that I’ve seen many times as a PGCM. It’s why I always stress repeatedly to families that if they really care about their parents or loved ones, they need to take the time to find someone else to do the caregiving if they cannot. As I’ve said before, so many times I see families try to take care of their aging parents or grandparents themselves only to find out that they’re really not qualified to do the job. Think about it. Would you want someone unqualified to care for you when you reach that stage in your life? Would you want to be helpless and a prisoner in your bed for two days like this poor man?

Serving Seniors has been recognized as one of only 20 Fellow Certified Geriatric Care Managers in the USA as recognized by the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers. That means when you and your family use our professional services, you’ll be securing the best care for your parents or grandparents. That’s why I say Serving Seniors offers you peace of mind; we really do.

I hope you find our posts helpful. Please feel free to share your own experiences and we welcome your comments below. We value your input and so do our readers.
Thank you for your interest in Serving Seniors and our professional geriatric care management services.
Thanks again!

Diane Hischke