*It was creepy. I had no idea where exactly the voice came from: the street? the garden?the adjacent parking lot? it sounded like a voice coming from an alien world.
After a few minutes, it occured to me that, perhaps, the voice belonged to a woman with dementia or alzheimer who had escaped, unnoticed from the nearby assisted-living facility (which has also a memory care wing), and was looking for her personal carer. I decided to call the police in our area and ask them to urgently deal with the matter.
The police were quick. I looked out of the window and was relieved to see the blue flashing light of their car . After about 5 minutes the nagging voice stopped, and I went back to bed.
The next day I made enquiries. She was found sitting on the garden stone edge, behind a car. It appeared I was only partially right. The woman had indeed dementia, but she wasn't a resident of the assisted living facility. The police kept her for a while at the station until family phoned to report her missing. The incident was brought to the attention of the Social Services.
Well, I was glad that it all ended with no physical harm done to the poor woman.
*- web picture - logo of dementia campaign
You're a hero!
ReplyDeleteWhat if no one had heard her?
There's more than one 'what if..", but who knows?! Middle of the night is poor timing.
DeleteYes, amazing your quick reply and taking action, I agree with Sandi!
ReplyDeleteAnd thankfully all was taken care of so promptly. Hope that she will be get the proper care and love. A good and peacefull day and night`s sleep to you dear Duta!!
Thank you, Shayndel. Yes, luckily it all went smoothly: my quick action, and the police's quick arrival.
DeleteTo ask where one is in the darkness (איפ אתה?) is a question we sometimes direct to ourselves. You heard. You helped. You did good.
ReplyDeleteYou seem to know some hebrew - I'm impressed. In hebrew we have two words for 'you', one for masculine(אתה), one for feminine(את). The woman was asking איפה את - the feminine form.
DeleteYou are such a good citizen, Duta, for calling the authorities, I think most people would just go back to sleep. It must extremely difficult living with a person who has dementia, you never know where or when they could go missing in a blink of an eye.
ReplyDeleteI'm a human being first of all, and as such feel for another human being in distress. The cops are also human beings who have mothers and sisters, and so they came immediately, and then treated her well at the station with some food and a hot beverage.
DeleteIt is so sad that many families loose their dear ones who silently walk away from home never to return. Alzheimer is cruel.
ReplyDeleteSad, indeed. Cognitive illnesses like Alzheimer are very cruel. Families find it very hard to cope with their loved ones in this condition.
DeleteSo glad that you heard her voice.
ReplyDeleteSomehow, I felt glad too, knowing that maybe someone else will hear and ignore it. People react differently to things seen or heard.
DeleteGood for you. Poor soul.
ReplyDeleteYes, I felt good I heard the voice and could help the woman. Frightening to think what could have happened to her away from home and care, walking and crossing streets in the darkness of night.
DeleteYou were so wise to do that, Duta, and such a good thing to do. But many would have simply ignored it. Bravo. We all need to look out for one another. I am glad she was safe.
ReplyDeleteI've seen cases of dementia and alzheimer closely, and I cannot be indifferent or ignore people afflicted with these horrible conditions.
DeleteIt was some sort of miracle that this woman was not hurt in her night 'adventure'.
Adding my comment that you did a very good thing by taking action, Duta, because there's no way of knowing what might have happened to the woman if you had not called anyone. Here in the U.S. there is a popular saying...See Something, Say Something and most times people do, but others do not. Glad you are one of those who did something, my friend.
ReplyDelete"See something, Say something..."
DeleteI'll keep that in mind. I may as well add 'do something' to the phrase.
Wow. You did well. That must have been creepy in the night.
ReplyDeleteThat voice in the middle of the night and me trying to figure out who, what, where - was a scaring experience, indeed.
DeleteNot funny. I think she was feeling so alone! I think she was calling her mom. So sad. Sleeplessness and night-time wandering is typical for dementia, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteWell done. Glad the calling voice was in your ears. Like God was calling Adam and Eve :-)
Very sad. As far as I know families with someone sufferng of dementia/ alzheimer get financial help through Social Services to employ a carer for the patient; so maybe she was calling and looking for her carer that night.
DeleteWhat a wonderful caring soul you are that you thought to do something for the owner of the voice, and not dismiss the voice as imagination or someone playing pranks.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Vera. At first, I thought it was a dream that woke me up.
DeleteI suppose, if it wasn't night, people would have heard her and tried to help. Perhaps, someone even knew her or her family.
Wow DUTA, what a story! Thank you for helping, for not just ignoring her cries. It could have turned out to be nothing but you reacted just the same! I wish more people would look out for each other like that!
ReplyDeleteWell, there was something in the woman's voice that clearly indicated some mental disorder, and one could not just ignore it.
DeleteI pray that she will be fine and family finds her soon.
ReplyDelete# Duta...You have a beautiful heart
have a great Saturday
Well, family got her back after being questioned by the police and told that the case will be brought to the attention of the Social Security. Moreover, family was warned that if this happens again, charges will be pressed against her.
DeleteThat is alarming, it may be time for them to put her into a dementia facility, it can be hard for the family to deal with.
ReplyDeleteRight. I think she coudn't have escaped unnoticed from a proper facility. The one nearby is private and expensive, so not everyone can afford it.
DeleteDementia is an awful disease, it was this poor woman's good fortune though that you were kind enough to respond quickly.
ReplyDeleteAwful, indeed. It's also awful for the family. Carers and special facilities are expensive, despite help from Social Security. May God keep these diseases away from us!
DeleteI'm glad you called and it ended well.
ReplyDeleteI felt glad too that I took action and did the right thing under the circumstances. She could have been injured wandering about in her situation.
DeleteIt sounds like you did the right thing. That would be so scary to be wandering alone and terribly confused.
ReplyDeleteAnd it was night.I had to act quick and I had only the phone number of the police, which was what I needed.
DeleteSo good you are sensetive enough to this voice.
ReplyDeleteWell, lucky for her, I am a sensitive person, and so I tried to help somehow.
DeleteThat was a good thing that you did, DUTA. You're a good-hearted, caring person. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind words. I would like to think everyone would have done the same under the circumstances.
DeleteDementia is such a cruel disease.
ReplyDeleteI applaud you for taking the time to care, there are others that may not.
We used to live near an assisted home for those with Dementia, and I think the nurses, carers, Drs etc who help to look after these patients do a wonderful job.
All the best Jan
Yes, it is. They say one has to beware of meds taken for eye or ear problems as they affect the memory part of the brain. There might be some truth in it; my Mom was sometimes given a pill for her glaucoma and she was not herself after that.
DeleteSo good that you were able to help this lady. Dementia is such a cruel disease. My late husband's final diagnosis was Lewy Body Dementia although it was thought to be Alzheimer's Disease to start with. It was 16 years from when I first noticed symptoms until he died although his brain had shut off long before that.
ReplyDeleteSorry about your husband. They say that meds given for eye/ear/head disorders are a trigger. Who knows? there are a lot of speculations but nothing conclusive.
Delete