This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Elderly family or friends need our attention

My name is Gina and I've been working with the Laguna Woods retirement residences for nearly 30 years. I'm in the jewelry business and service 3rd generation families with their jewelry needs.

My first encounters of passing the family jewels were with the passing of the 'first' generation and dealing with the families estate jewelry.

You can imagine the different responses I witness of people when inheriting jewelry. There is the grateful one that cares about the sentimental pass-downs that adorns or appreciates the jewelry left for them; than there is person that wants to sell the jewelry as fast and they got it for the money; or there is the person that holds on to it for 20-30 years, never wearing it until finally one day they sell it. 

This subject is not the reason I'm blogging today and I'll leave that for another day.

Today I want to talk about the Mother, Aunt, Grandmother, Sister, Daughter that is in need and the family who lives down the street that do not take care of them. They are someone in need.

Today my story is of my friend who is 86 years old and has given to her community as long as I can remember and therefore is considerate, loving and yes independent.

 At this time she is constantly falling due to her growing fragility and is bruised to no end. She is lying on her bed and due to a recent water leak is dealing with a stripped carpeted cold floor. The house is not kept, laundry lies everywhere, the house smells and my friend is unclean due to her convalescence.  This has evolved over the last 6 months and should be evident to family members that she is in bad shape and needs help.

Unfortunately, people get caught up in their own worlds and don't see something so blatant right in-front of their eyes. Nevertheless, with two grown children living in the same county neither takes notice to the fact that:

  • If their mother had a cane she could balance herself better and not fall, hurting herself
  • If their mother had a lady come to the house 3-4 days a week she could be bathed better.
  • The caretaker could also grocery shop so mother could eat better
  • The caretaker could clean out her refrigerate so house did not smell
  • The caretaker could brush mothers hair and do her laundry
Please take a minute and ask an elderly if you can help. Look for obvious signs that they are not doing well and keep in mind that the 'independent' ones have a harder time asking for help.
Ask them if their kids are near and if they need to be called. Many elderly feel they don't have the support of their loved ones. So very sad and if so HELP THEM.

If your friend needs help buy a cane for $50.00 and find a caretaker to address their personal individual needs. Get the wheels in motion.

If you and I can do something for someone we can be a better person today. Please help someone in need. Look to your family first.



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