Wednesday, June 24, 2009

My Neighbor

Today I was just sitting in my living room enjoying my day off when there was a knock at the door. A woman I did not know was there. She asked me if I'd seen Mignon (my elderly neighbor) lately. I told her yes I'd seen her a little while ago. I saw her pulling in her driveway with her vehicle and I went over and said hi. Well this woman said she was worried about her and had been calling her for hours and she didn't answer her phone. Then she went and knocked on the door and she did not answer. I told her that she said she was going to look for her grandson but that she'd never left. Then I told her she said she was going to get ready to go to work. It was then that this woman told me that Mignon has not worked in over a year and she has Alzheimer's. She thinks she still works there and drives there many times a day to see if there is any work. She used to drive this van to take people to the railroad. I'm not sure of the details of it. But she's told me numerous times that she works several nights a week until midnight. I see her vehicle gone a lot so I figured she really was working. In the reality she lives in, she is still working. Now I find this very scary because she drives all over the place and I don't think she should be driving. As I said in one of my other posts I went shopping at Walmart recently and ran into her there outside her car and she said she'd been driving around the parking lot because she could not remember what she needed to get. When Russell and I first moved in she invited us in and she talked for hours about her ex husbands. She had a very good memory of the past but not the present. I know she has family somewhere because they visited about a month ago from another state I believe. I don't understand how they can let her live alone. Maybe they don't know how bad she is. She does not appear to have anything physically wrong with her, she looks healthy and is always on the go.
Anyhow the woman who came to my door is someone that she used to work with her. She says she worries about her and checks up on her. We finally did figure out that Mignon was home because we opened the door (which she does not lock) and yelled to her. We had to yell for her for awhile before she answered. I think I'm going to find a way to check on her a couple of times a day but I need to do it without looking like I'm checking on her.
When you think about it, this can happen to anyone. Anyone can get Alzheimer's. I can't imagine what it would be like to be so confused like she is and live in the past and not remember people. It's very sad really. I hope they find the cause of it someday soon or a cure for it.
Well those are my thoughts for today.
Blessings to y'all

13 comments:

  1. That's such a shame. And it's good that you want to be checking on her. Someone should.

    You may be right that her family don't know how bad she is. However, it may also be that they - like so many people in this worrld - just want to get on with their own lives and not be burdened by the responsibility of caring for a relative. Even though that relative really needs them. Some people just don't think like you. I'm not saying that's the case with her family, I'm just saying it happens. I'm hoping really that it's the first option, and that it's not knowing how much she needs them that's the problem. But either way it's not good for her to be on her own and driving about all over the place by herself.

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  2. That's really scary (and sad) about your neighbor!! You are good to try to check on her!

    I have been reading back through your posts since I have been such a slug lately. I am sorry that work has become such a drag, but I'm glad the crazy girl won't be bothering you anymore! And yeah for Russell and the new job!!

    I wish that the weather would mellow out a bit! We've been hiding in the house with the drapes closed for too long! I got all bit up working in the garden a while back and simply couldn't be out in the heat without scratching myself to death. Had to sit around with an ice bag until it all passed. The garden has suffered a bit, and I let something get away from me. *Sigh*

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  3. My goodness that's really bizzare. I wonder if she has a hearing problem too?

    Fortunately for her, she has a couple of folks at least sort of keeping an eye on her.

    She most likely shouldn't be driving - but if she lost her license anything she had left would be destroyed. Thats a rock and a hard place situation for you.

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  4. P.s., I'm slowly reading your poems. They are very moving and I can only assimilate a few at a time.

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  5. Have you thought about calling DSS or Senior Services??

    Jane

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  6. I wonder if there would be any way to gently advise her family of the true situation - if you know how to contact them that is.

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  7. Hello! I wanted to stop by to let you know I'm still alive and kicking! lol I keep forgetting to update my blog. I've been using the Google browser and the way my favs/bookmarked pages are listed I just cant seem to remember to go to my blog. I need to move the bookmark to the top of the list the way it was on IE.

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  8. Tori: You are right. There are too many people out there who don't want to take care of their families. What a shame it is. I'm not sure yet what the case in is in this situation because I really don't have all the facts.

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  9. Lisa: It sure does keep the place cooler keeping the drapes closed doesn't it? I understand about the itchy bug bites because not a day goes by when I don't have bites on my ankles and they drive me nuts!

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  10. Intense Guy: I agree about the driving thing and replied to it in my post. I'm glad you enjoyed my poems.

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  11. Jane: I thought about calling DPS when they do licensing but can't bring myself to do that at this time.

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  12. Anthony: If I get a chance to talk to her family I'm going to do it but at this time have no way to contact them.

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  13. Shirla: It's good to see you. I hope you update your blog soon!

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