I was chatting with one of my neighbor friends. I like her kind personality. She has a kind and nice heart.
In her apartment complex, she has one male friend. They have been friends for more than 10 years. Some years ago, the male friend started acting weird. Sometimes the man walked around without thinking, ended up being lost in the neighborhood area. Other times the man didn’t recognize her as his friend. She suggested him to go see his doctor. He was diagnosed as dementia one year ago. Since then, he has taken several pills to slow down the dementia process.
His aging and dementia processes have gotten worse in a high speed. He is qualified to be accepted in a nursing home, but unfortunately he is one of the patients whose names are in a long waiting list.
Nowadays he was sent to the emergency room several times. He was very close to cause a fire in this apartment room because he forgets after he turns on the gas stove.
He has one daughter in another state. Even though they talk on the phone every week, the daughter never comes to pick him up to her house.
Nobody is actually taking care of him. So, my friend takes lots of responsibilities to support her friend. She obtained a power of attorney for providing him medical pills. She gives him a ride to his regular appointment at the clinic. She brings food to his room every day.
It was a shocking story that she shared with me. I guess she has been stressed out for her burden. She thanked me after I listened to her.
After I came back home, I could not stop pondering about my dad. I cannot take him to my house in America. I cannot go back to Japan to take care of him, as I have my family here in America.
Taking care of old parents is a challenging task for everybody. I think every family has their own unique reasons and situations for not being able to take care of their old parents. I just sincerely pray and hope every single person will go through their path with blessings from somebody.
three wisdom 