Bah!

[poliphilo]

A district nurse called at lunchtime. She was asking my mother about incontinence (which she denies she suffers from) and her medical history (which she remembers nothing about).

Comments

[stevegreen.livejournal.com]

My mother has had many similar experiences. She's repeatedly explained to various organisations that her partner has Alzheimers, and that there is no point in asking him questions (when I telephoned yesterday, he wasn't 100% afterwards who I was). They continue to do so.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

There's no flexibility to the system. The questions have to be asked because that's what the rulebook says even when there's no chance of getting meaningful answers.

[arielstarshadow.livejournal.com]

Why on earth would they talk to someone who is no longer capable of providing honest, accurate answers?!? That makes no sense!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

She was just following procedure- never mind that it was pretty pointless.

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

Oh that just makes no sense at all!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

No, it doesn't.

[negothick.livejournal.com]

I encountered the same weird procedure in the 90s, when my father had Alzheimer's. For several years, he could fool just about any telephone caller--he sounded perfectly reasonable to a stranger. We couldn't get his own doctor to forbid him from driving until he ran his car into a barrier and had no idea what had happened. He tried to say the brakes had failed--but they had not.

Since then, I've read many accounts of drivers using the same excuse for such accidents.

Who makes these stupid rules?

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

My father-in-law was driving long after he ceased to be competent. My mother too. Both of them finally gave up of their own accord.

I think we're in denial about senescence.