Grace O Maille
Pirate Lord
......in a good way!
I don't 'know' this woman, she lives on the next street from me.
On my way to work yesterday I witnessed this elderly lady (probably in her 80's, frail and struggling to stand even with a walking frame) being shouted at by her own neighbour.
It seems that this neighbour had been 'caring' for the woman...but demanding higher and higher amounts of cash, until the old lady could no longer pay her.
As I approached, the neighbour walked away so I didn't intervene.
All day I thought about this lady and it bothered me a lot that she maybe had no other choices than to accept 'help' from this neighbour of hers. After returning home I searched online and found info of various reputable local places that offer personal care and domestic help for elderly folk and their contact info.
After work today, I knocked on her door and gave her what I'd found....hoping she wouldn't think I was just 'interfering'.
She was so happy that a stranger would go to the trouble, that she cried. She told me she has no family and doesn't know where to start looking for help. Tomorrow she will be making some phone calls from my list.
Anyway....I didn't tell you this to blow my own trumpet, I just wanted to say, we all see vulnerable people in the areas we live in, don't let the potential embarrassment, fear of being thought of as interfering etc stop you from helping if you think it might be needed. Maybe they don't need help and are doing fine or they already have someone to help...............but maybe they have no one to turn to and you may do some small thing that has a positive influence in someones life!
I don't 'know' this woman, she lives on the next street from me.
On my way to work yesterday I witnessed this elderly lady (probably in her 80's, frail and struggling to stand even with a walking frame) being shouted at by her own neighbour.
It seems that this neighbour had been 'caring' for the woman...but demanding higher and higher amounts of cash, until the old lady could no longer pay her.
As I approached, the neighbour walked away so I didn't intervene.
All day I thought about this lady and it bothered me a lot that she maybe had no other choices than to accept 'help' from this neighbour of hers. After returning home I searched online and found info of various reputable local places that offer personal care and domestic help for elderly folk and their contact info.
After work today, I knocked on her door and gave her what I'd found....hoping she wouldn't think I was just 'interfering'.
She was so happy that a stranger would go to the trouble, that she cried. She told me she has no family and doesn't know where to start looking for help. Tomorrow she will be making some phone calls from my list.
Anyway....I didn't tell you this to blow my own trumpet, I just wanted to say, we all see vulnerable people in the areas we live in, don't let the potential embarrassment, fear of being thought of as interfering etc stop you from helping if you think it might be needed. Maybe they don't need help and are doing fine or they already have someone to help...............but maybe they have no one to turn to and you may do some small thing that has a positive influence in someones life!
