Thankfully it was not something really bad
@GardenGerty (169489)
United States
October 29, 2017 6:58pm CST
It is easy to imagine the worst. We tried calling my dad all afternoon Saturday, to let him know our plans to bring food and spend time. We eventually drove about 45 minutes to check on them.
No one answered. Usually his wife gets the phone as it is right by her chair. Dad often goes off for a nap. I called his cell phone, it was no longer in service.
Mind you, he is to the point he should not drive. He cannot remember things. He "fixes" things and majorly damages them sometimes.
He did not know his phone was out of service.
He had been "working on" some wiring as his printer was not printing. They also had no wireless internet, it seems. At least that is what we discovered when we got there. Charlotte his wife had been trying to use her Kindle Fire and it said it had no connection.
Charlotte's son in law works on all those kinds of things, television, computer and phone for them. We used my brother's phone to call him.
We had been imagining the worst. He has been having trouble with the door not opening, the heat not coming on, etc. We thought something had happened to both of them. Aging is the pits. He is 86, she is 97. He threw his cell phone away cause it was not working the way he thought it should.
We are home now, and so thankful it was nothing worse.
20 people like this
21 responses
@Happy2BeMe (99353)
• Canada
30 Oct 17
Glad to hear that they are both okay. It must have been scary for awhile not knowing.
3 people like this
@GardenGerty (169489)
• United States
30 Oct 17
It was causing some serious concerns. I think we should get the phone numbers for more of their contacts, like their neighbor.
4 people like this
@Happy2BeMe (99353)
• Canada
30 Oct 17
@GardenGerty That would be a great idea so at least you could contact them and not have to worry so much not knowing what is going on.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169489)
• United States
31 Oct 17
@Happy2BeMe I mostly leave it to my brother as he lives closest.
1 person likes this
@Ithink (10106)
• United States
30 Oct 17
Wow! I do understand the worry, I worry about my mom as she lives alone. When she does not answer the first thing I do is imagine the worst. Unfortunately most of the time I cant go check on her. So I just keep calling. Normally she has been out shopping and gets all these messages from me.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (169489)
• United States
30 Oct 17
I do not know how long it would have been before they would have realized what was up. Dad kind of got serious when he realized he would have no way to communicate if something happened to Charlotte and she needed an ambulance.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (169489)
• United States
31 Oct 17
@Ithink Dad had a "free government phone" but had gotten to the point he could not make it work the way he wanted.
1 person likes this
@Ithink (10106)
• United States
30 Oct 17
@GardenGerty My mom does have a cell phone that is always with her just in case, that makes me feel a little better.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169489)
• United States
30 Oct 17
I would like to be there more. I am afraid that the only way to get dad to quit fixing things is to put him in a home, at which time he will give up and die.
3 people like this
@GardenGerty (169489)
• United States
31 Oct 17
@sallypup Charlotte's two daughters, and her grand children and my brother and a neighbor or two visit them.
1 person likes this
@sallypup (69190)
• Centralia, Washington
30 Oct 17
@GardenGerty That's a worry. Too bad you can't get someone to come visit your parents, like I did when I worked for home health agencies.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (169489)
• United States
30 Oct 17
Yes. I have worked with the elderly quite a bit, but it is personal when it is family.
3 people like this
@andriaperry (118793)
• Anniston, Alabama
30 Oct 17
WOW! that old and they still live alone?
3 people like this
@GardenGerty (169489)
• United States
30 Oct 17
Yes, and they have done reasonably well. She has family that checks on them. My brother checks in on them. I try to make it down at least once a month. One of the daughters takes them shopping. They have a good neighbor who keeps an eye on them and will offer to give them rides. They pay their own bills, dad manages his meds. He cooks, but probably should not.
3 people like this
@ElusiveButterfly (45941)
• United States
31 Oct 17
Wow, sounds so familiar. I have clients that are always trying to fix things when they really should let someone else do it for them. Stubborn. Glad to hear that they are both okay.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169489)
• United States
1 Nov 17
When you are a caregiver this becomes your reality.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (120933)
• United States
30 Oct 17
Oh my. He threw it away? My late grandfather ended up ruining his computer trying to fix things. I remember him falling asleep when I was with him in the car. I can't imagine your worry. My dad's wife has her dad living by himself, and he is 88. He forgets to eat and as a diabetic it makes him talk crazy and act weird. It seems so simple, but like you said...old age.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169489)
• United States
31 Oct 17
We would like to see them get Meals on Wheels but he says that they were told that as long as he drives they cannot. I am not sure that is true. How about your dad's wife? Can she get that for her father.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (120933)
• United States
31 Oct 17
@GardenGerty He may already get them. He just doesn't bother to even grab a granola bar. I mean can they not set a timer for him? His sons and two grandchildren live in the same town.
@yanzalong (19091)
• Indonesia
30 Oct 17
Thats what I am worried about when I phoned my family it was disconnecred or ni answer. I sent WA and I only see a checkmark.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (169489)
• United States
30 Oct 17
Do you live far from your family? I live about a four hour drive from my dad. I go visit my brother and we try to have a get together.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (169489)
• United States
30 Oct 17
@yanzalong Is there someone else who will check on them? That would be very distressing to me.
1 person likes this
@lovinangelsinstead21 (36847)
• Pamplona, Spain
30 Oct 17
Thank goodness it was nothing worse then.
Glad to see that they are both well and okay.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169489)
• United States
31 Oct 17
It is little by little that they are going down hill.
1 person likes this
@lovinangelsinstead21 (36847)
• Pamplona, Spain
31 Oct 17
@GardenGerty
At least you have them for now though.
Mine went before I could even think of doing anything as I live over here.
@GardenGerty (169489)
• United States
31 Oct 17
I think his wife is frustrated with him. He gets too impulsive about things. She lost her first husband to Alzheimer's complications. She and my dad have been married thirty four years.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382329)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Oct 17
@GardenGerty I think with some people, as they get older, whatever their traits are, they seem to intensify so perhaps your Dad is more impulsive than he used to be. But I may be totally wrong.
@Courtlynn (67089)
• United States
30 Oct 17
Oh wow. Thats scary. Glad things werent worse
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (169489)
• United States
30 Oct 17
I am glad my brother had the time so we could all go over and check on them.
2 people like this
@Courtlynn (67089)
• United States
30 Oct 17
@GardenGerty yes, its good you could check on them.
2 people like this
@kobesbuddy (78833)
• East Tawas, Michigan
30 Oct 17
Oh, thank heavens they were both doing fine. When my parents got old, I was a nervous wreck. They couldn't hear the phone, or they'd put it halfway on the cradle and it would sit there buzzing. We checked on them all the time, until Dad finally passed away. Aging is definitely the pits!
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169489)
• United States
30 Oct 17
They have done well to stay so independent for so long. It concerns me a lot. I would like to check on them more.
1 person likes this
@kobesbuddy (78833)
• East Tawas, Michigan
30 Oct 17
@GardenGerty Mom and Dad were three miles from our home, not that far to drive.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169489)
• United States
30 Oct 17
@kobesbuddy I think Charlotte's daughters come out a lot and take them places, etc. I also think he still drives some places, but wish he would not.
1 person likes this
@peachpurple (13961)
• Malaysia
30 Oct 17
glad that nothing went wrong, old folks sometimes are childish, they should know that we as children are worried for them
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (169489)
• United States
30 Oct 17
He is beginning to be less aware. He has been pretty functional up until recently.
1 person likes this
@TiarasOceanView (70020)
• United States
30 Oct 17
Aw so sorry to hear all this Heather..yes aging is the pits.
I am so glad they were okay however..you must have been very worried.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169489)
• United States
31 Oct 17
We were quite disturbed and feared for the worst.
1 person likes this
@LeaPea2417 (40037)
• Toccoa, Georgia
30 Oct 17
I am glad they are ok. And yes, my parents who are 80 and 78 are telling me how hard it is getting old.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169489)
• United States
31 Oct 17
I find it stressful since I cannot just drop everything and go see them.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
30 Oct 17
That is scary stuff when you can't get in touch with your elderly parents. Glad all was well.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169489)
• United States
31 Oct 17
So are we. It could be very scary.
1 person likes this
@responsiveme (22923)
• India
30 Oct 17
I can understand how worried you must have been.glad it was ok
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169489)
• United States
31 Oct 17
Yes, we were relieved, as well as frustrated by the way the problem got all tangled with his working on the computer.
1 person likes this
@spiderdust (14756)
• San Jose, California
30 Oct 17
Oh, that must have been as frightening as it was frustrating!
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169489)
• United States
31 Oct 17
Yes, it was. It may not have been his fault originally. It may have been a problem with their internet and phone provider, but I am sure his tinkering made things worse.
@GardenGerty (169489)
• United States
31 Oct 17
I get to feeling pretty old myself.
1 person likes this
