old age and what may be ahead.

[Kiwi Phil]

Read this one for a laugh....then probably a reality check.

My daughter is a nurse in a Dementur (sp??) ward of an old peoples home.

Sat pm they have the clients (patients) out in a secure yard, when a 75yr old man races at the tap on the building wall, leaps on to it, and uses it to propell himself sideways up on top of the 8' wall, and flicks himself over......gone.

Now he is out daughter says she can't do anything....wall is to high....so calls for another nurse while she races thru the large building and out on to the street, then next door......and it is a building site....and there are several tradesmens all standing together looking stupid and wondering what just happened.

The story is, this old bloke landed on his feet, and started walking around the place talking to the workers, then he spied a pick-up truck with the keys in it, and like a bolt of lighning, was in it, and off....gone....

The tradesmen suspected something was wrong, as the guy was in his pyjamas, barefoot and a 10 gal hat...and he just stole their truck!!

So now they ring the cops.
Daughter really worried as this old chap hasn't driven for 15yrs etc.
Then the cops ring....he has been found about 5 miles away, so she drives over there.

There he was, large as life, all smiles etc.

Apparantly he got lost, so stopped to ask a guy mowing the lawns "which way to the Beach mate", and they suspected something was wrong, so all the neighbours came out and talked to him nicely till he got out of the truck, then they grabbed the keys. Everybody was really good to him.

Cops turn up, then the daughter. Cop says he can't charge him for anything (jokingly) but there is a lot of concern for what may have gone wrong etc.
Daughter takes him back to the home.

Apparantly he is a nice old chap, and the consequences are that he was taken away to a phyc hospital to be assessed....and she knows the outcome will be heavy medication....which their own Dr does not like doing.....that's why they have a smooth 8' wall (inside their boundary fence)....and the furniture is bolted to the concrete well away from the wall......(so they don't have to confine everybody inside 24 hrs a day.

Daughter says in a way is was really funny, but also very sad, but there is little that can be changed.

I dread suffering from that illness myself.

Cheers
Phillip

 

[CN Spots]

Re: old age and what may be ahead.

75 years old and could clear an 8' fence?

Dang, I'm 38 and I can barely clear the lip of the bathtub!

 

[JB]

Re: old age and what may be ahead.

You go, old dude.

 

[capt_neo]

Re: old age and what may be ahead.

One day, if I can remember the story, that old man will inspire me to make my own break out.

How sad that for so many of us, dementia will be our final path . . .

 

[tommays]

Re: old age and what may be ahead.

This Uncle Joe who is not really my uncle BUT thats what everybody calls him


I sail with Uncle Joe at least two times a week and at 91 has slowed down a bit but still keeeps going EVERYDAY

 

[Mark42]

Re: old age and what may be ahead.

My Mom and Dad are 76 and 78 respectively, and they are in much better shape than their friends. They drive where they want, make the 130 mile drive between their NJ and NY homes every few weeks, keep active in church choir, various seniors programs, etc. And they get their regular checkups.

They have slowed down a lot, but Dad still does lots of yardwork, like cutting down 10" diameter trees, digging holes for shrubbs, cuts the lawn, etc. Mom is always on the tread mill or Exercycle. They walk about 2 miles each night together along the beach, weather permitting.

They have their physical issues and limitations and take various medications, but they keep going.

According to them, if you want to enjoy your senior years, don't stop being active. They have watched many friends stop being active, sit in a chair all day, and now they are too feeble to do anything and rely on others for almost everything. Many have passed away from lack of preventative checkups, and following Dr's orders.

After watching them these past few years, I believe them when they say "Don't stop.... keep active or end up in a retirement home".

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: old age and what may be ahead.

An elderly couple had dinner at another couple's house, and after eating, the wives left the table and went into the kitchen.The two elderly gentlemen were talking, and one said, "Last night we went out to a new restaurant, and it was really great. I would recommend it very highly."
The other man said, "What's the name of the restaurant?"
The first man knits his brow in obvious concentration, and finally said to
his companion, "Aahh, What is the name of that red flower you give to someone you love?
His friends replies, "A Carnation??"
"No. No. The other one" the man says.
His friend offers another suggestion, "The Poppy?"
"Nahhhh, growls the man. You know the one that is red and has thorns."
His friend said, "Do you mean a rose?"
"Yes, Yes that's it. Thank you!" the first man says.
He then turns toward the kitchen and yells, "Rose, what's the name of that restaurant we went to last night?"

 

[Jeep Man]

Re: old age and what may be ahead.

When my father-in-law retired many years ago, It was his goal to do nothing useful. He did and enjoyed many years of retirement. He had a saying I will always remember. "I get up in the morning with nothing to do....and by noon, I'm half done."

 

[ebentraywick]

Re: old age and what may be ahead.

my granpa is 87 and he just started his constrution buisness back up again he building a 4 story house with my uncle and he barely can stay up with my granpa

 

[boomer2]

Re: old age and what may be ahead.

I dread getting any older than I am. When I was young it was broads,booze and partying. Now all I have to look forward to is prune juice and Depends.......

 

[Kiwi Phil]

Re: old age and what may be ahead.

I was talking to the daughter the other day, and asked about this old bloke.
They had to medicate him heavily (he got away again) and I am not sure how it happens, but the medication bought on some thing serious and he passed away.
She said all the staff were particularly saddened by it.
What can you say
Cheers
Phillip

 

[foodfisher]

Re: old age and what may be ahead.

An elderly couple had dinner at another couple's house, and after eating, the wives left the table and went into the kitchen.The two elderly gentlemen were talking, and one said, "Last night we went out to a new restaurant, and it was really great. I would recommend it very highly."
The other man said, "What's the name of the restaurant?"
The first man knits his brow in obvious concentration, and finally said to
his companion, "Aahh, What is the name of that red flower you give to someone you love?
His friends replies, "A Carnation??"
"No. No. The other one" the man says.
His friend offers another suggestion, "The Poppy?"
"Nahhhh, growls the man. You know the one that is red and has thorns."
His friend said, "Do you mean a rose?"
"Yes, Yes that's it. Thank you!" the first man says.
He then turns toward the kitchen and yells, "Rose, what's the name of that restaurant we went to last night?"

Da**it! Coffee on the keyboard.

 

[JB]

Re: old age and what may be ahead.

My Dad passed away at 84 after four years of not knowing what day it was or who people were. He complained bitterly that it was immoral to keep him, or anyone in his state, alive.

My Mom passed one month short of her 90th birthday. Her last four years were spent wishing to join all of her friends who had passed before her. She was mostly out of touch with reality those last few years but in a rare moment of recognition begged me to instruct the Docs to let her go.

If she is back with all of her old friends as she expected I really wonder how she is dealing with three husbands and four lovers at the same time.

I will be 75 in a couple of months and really fear becoming a dependent vegetable pretty soon. Maybe if I survive to that point I will have a different attitude, but I expect to have the same attitude as my parents.

 

[PGFISHER]

Re: old age and what may be ahead.

KEEP ACTIVE!!! I'm 65 and still do all the things I did 30 years ago; WHY?; 'cause I never stopped doing them.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: old age and what may be ahead.

I was talking to the daughter the other day, and asked about this old bloke.
They had to medicate him heavily (he got away again) and I am not sure how it happens, but the medication bought on some thing serious and he passed away.
She said all the staff were particularly saddened by it.
What can you say
Cheers
Phillip

Well...... the nursing homes, retirement homes, and the majority of hospital stays are not guarded facilities and you said your daughter was a nurse I sincerely hope while he was on his escape mission he enjoyed it. Where he is now is really the most escape proof spot (and we are all going there),

Nurses ....... nurse people and it really is not their job to be a guard. Our "Retirement homes" are not and should not be prison's with locked doors and ultra control.

If I ever end up in a facility...... you can bet if I am mobile I will escape and if I am not mobile....... I will call a cab

 

[Vlad D Impeller]

Re: old age and what may be ahead.

This makes me think of two old fellas, Amos and Shamus. Amos was standing at the bar nursing his pint, Shamus walks up and told that he was looking pitiful, Amos then proceeded to lament his list of aches and pains, he then noticed that Shamus was looking rather smug and pleased with himself, so he asked Shamus how he was feeling, Shamus replied that he felt like a new born baby, adding to the fact that he had no hair and no teeth, he had just shat himself.