ALCOHOL AND THE ELDERLY

I heard a news report today on the elderly & drinking. I am always interested when someone says elderly, of course. I just wish they would tell me when you get elderly because I can’t figure this out.
One of my people was an alcoholic and I did not even realize this until she had been there for several months. I had received a call from the hospital in Ballston Spa looking for an empty bed for a lady. You know me, dear reader, I never say no. It just happened one of my people had died a few days earlier so I had room This lady, Annie, was in her early 80’s, a little thin and not too friendly at first. She had a home but could not go back and live alone. I was not told why but of course I took her home with me. When we arrived home she said hello to everyone and then wanted to know where her room was. I showed her and then sat down to have a talk and find out what she liked and didn't like. This was always very important to folks so they would feel like it was their home also.
It was important to know what they liked to eat and what TV programs they preferred which sometimes was a little touchy. What time they preferred to go to bed and get up. We always tried to make the person feel like they could do anything and sometimes it got very interesting. This was not always easy but we always managed. The times we ran into problems was when some wanted to watch “soaps” on one channel and of course others wanted to watch on a different channel. I solved this by taping one program so eventually they all watched all the soaps. If I never hear another“soap” program I will be happy!!!
I got Annie settled in her room and started getting dinner together. She came out to the kitchen and wanted to help but I told her the kitchen was “off limits” when we were cooking. I got her a cup of coffee so she could sit at the table and talk while I worked. She wanted me to take her to her house the next day to get her clothes. I said “I don’t have a problem with that but you must remember you cannot stay there”. She replied” I just want my clothes, nothing else and it won’t take me very long”. She told me her husband had died a couple of years ago and he was a pharmacist. She had been living alone and just could not do it anymore. The next day I took her to her home down by Albany. It was a beautiful home in a very nice neighborhood. We proceeded to go inside and get her things together. I let her pack all she wanted and then she went in the bathroom to get her own towels and lotions. I loaded everything and we headed home. She wanted lunch and so we stopped at a diner and got a sandwich. She mentioned she would like a drink but I said no because of your medicines. She wasn't too happy but that seemed fine. We got home and unloaded everything and I left her in her room putting everything away. When she came to the table she was in a very good mood and I figured it was because she had her own things. After dinner I sat at the table and she came over and sat down and stared talking about her money!!!She said there was several hundred dollars in a jar in the closet at her house in loose change her husband had saved. I asked her why she did’t tell me when we were there and she said she forgot about it. She thought maybe I could go get it the next day! I asked her who her lawyer was and she said she didn't have one. I told her I knew a person she could call because I was not going to her house again without a person with me. She hired the lawyer and he took care of everything. She had no idea she had so much money. Her husband’s car was still in the garage (new) . She had no relatives and neither did he. I could write a book on this lady… She was always very happy to go see the lawyer. I would take her to the office but never go inside with her. I figured the less I knew the better I was. I had been making plans to go to Indiana and visit my family and she begged me to take her. I finally gave in and she went with me. It was nice but I never tried something like that again. She would have one of my workers take her for rides and I thought everything was fine. Than one morning she acted so strange. Not any one thing just a lot of small things. She was so grouchy and irritable. Food didn't taste right, and then I noticed she was kind of shaky. I took her to the ER at Saratoga Hospital and the Dr. recognized her immediately. She was having withdrawal symptoms from drinking. When we moved her stuff to my home she had managed to put a lot of small liquor bottles in with her clothes!!!! That was when I found out the background and I was amazed. It seems her and her husband both drank a lot, starting when he retired. He died and she had been in and out of the hospital many times over drinking and falling. She got admitted to the Mental Health and then into a rehabilitation center. She used to call me once in a while and say hello but she died from cancer in rehabilitation center a few months later. It was so sad because she really was a very nice person who was just very very lonely.
I wonder how many elderly people there are who are just lonely and need someone to care. I know how nice it is around here to have Dr. Pitkin to make house calls because at least they have someone who cares. Come to think of it I think I better call him myself……
Love Red