I've been at my Gran's house all day today because she bought a tablet computer thing, so I've been showing her how to use it.
However, whilst my mum and Gran went to the shops and I was left to set it up, the doorbell went (by the way setting it up took me HOURS - I could not connect to the WiFi and was searching online for ages on what to do. Turns out I entered the wrong password over and over again, ha! Oooops...). So anyway, I obviously went to answer the door.
It was the old lady from next door. She lives alone with her slightly weird husband... and she has dementia. My Gran has told me she's been round in the past (after she somehow got out her house - her carers have told her husband to lock the doors when he can't watch her) and she has chatted complete shit to my Gran and my Gran then obviously doesn't know what to do with her. She can't walk the lady back to her house because she (my Gran) is disabled and my Mum has told her not to let the old lady in, because apparently people with conditions like dementia can turn violent.
So when I answered the door and saw her standing there holding an old football, I had no fucking clue what to do. This was the conversation (roughly)...
"Hi Margret.. is everything ok?"
"No. Can you see that? Five and Six." (She points down towards my Gran's backgarden - I can't really see anything, so I presume the other next door neighbour's kids are in the garden and she's talking about them.)
"Oh... Yeah..."
"Well I want some (serious case of mumbling now happens). I want to speak to your mum."
"Sorry, I'm the only one in at the moment, can I help you with anything?" (I now seriously start panicking because I can't take her back to her house because I don't have the keys to lock the door.)
"Oh. Ok. (She now looks down towards the backgarden again.) I want some of those."
(I presume she is on about some flowers growing up the fence.)
"Yeah, they're pretty. Is everything ok?"
"Yes. I just don't know what to do with this (now looking at the football she is holding). It's very dirty and needs throwing away."
"Oh, well do you want me to take it then?"
"No. It's dirty."
"Ok... Does Harry know you're here?"
"YES! (Very happy now) He is WONDERFUL!" (She now starts walking away.)
"Yeah he is... Do you need any help getting back? (Why the fuck I asked that because I would have to leave the front door open... and I wouldn't be able to keep an eye on it from Margret's house because the front doors are at the sides of the houses, not actually the front, and my Gran's and Margret's houses are connected, so the doors are complete opposite sides - confused? Me too.)
"No he is wonderful." (She now leaves.)
I then run to the front room and watch her go back to her house. I know this sounds like nothing to get stressed over but I just had no idea what to do because she's not meant to leave her house without having someone with her.
When my Mum and Gran were back, we then saw her taking the football to the house with the kids. So then my Mum had to go out and walk her back home and tell her husband to keep an eye on her!
Anyone else been in a situation like this?! What did you do?
And hope you are all enjoying the Jubilee weekend!
I'm making my own crown tomorrow ha. Such a child.
And hope you are all enjoying the Jubilee weekend!
I'm making my own crown tomorrow ha. Such a child.
Jazz
Ha! Sorry but this is pretty funny. At least the way you tell it is. Dementia is a really sad though. I've never been in a situation like this per se, but I have talked to some weird fucking old people who must not be all there. The other day in Target some guy came up to me, Natalie and Matt and said "She's your GPS, huh?" I had no idea what the hell that meant. Luckily Matt is much more clever than me and replied "Yep, she tells us where to go." None of that conversation made any sense but whatever.
ReplyDeleteI think you handled it REALLY well! Does you Gran know them well enough to perhaps have their phone number? That way you could maybe phone the husband and ask him to come and collect her if it happened again? Though I guess that would mean either not opening the door to her (if you knew it was her) or shutting the door on her while you phoned him..hmm it's a tough one. You did the best thing though and at the end of the day, the husband should have been watching her more closely.
ReplyDeleteI've got to see this crown you are making today! I've just made a union jack dress in the style of My Big Fat Gypsy Weddings for Mia to wear to tomorrow's fancy dress jubillee party! oh and I will tell her that you also had the weird doll when you were a kid :0 have a great weekend! xx
...awkward O_o I have no idea what I'd do... probably just nod and smile and say really random useless things like "do you want some tea?"
ReplyDelete(Hi btw, I'm your 100th follower! That really excited me for some reason xD)
Zia
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