GOOD PEOPLE AT THE GEEZER APARTMENTS

 There are good things that happen at the Fallingbrick/Geezer Apartments.  There are also good people who want to help those in need, whether it’s to bring food to those staying in their apartment due to illness, to drive someone to doctor’s appointments, or to invite others to lunch.  We have advancing age in common, and it doesn’t take much for any of us to need help.

I worry about those living here who have dementia.  One woman constantly walks around the building.  She gets very confused when one tries to converse with her and cannot respond coherently.  I’ve seen her walk down the street and wonder if there will come a time when she’s unable to find her way back to the building. 

 

A couple moved here a few months ago.  The husband follows his wife around, never speaks to anyone, and is apparently suffering from dementia.  Often, the couple will sit in the common area while he usually sleeps. She looks toward the front entrance, almost as if she’s wondering how she got here and how she will get out of it. She has difficulty walking, and I’m uncertain about her mental status.  But it’s apparent that leaving the confines of their apartment is a relief for her.

 

 Another resident with frontotemporal dementia has a caregiver.  I’m unsure how long his caregiver stays in his apartment, but this is also a disaster waiting to happen.  There are others here who I neve their apartment. The only criterion for renting an apartment is to qualify financially and be over age 62. Management has no responsibility for the well-being of the residents other than to ensure bricks don’t fall on our heads from a building that was built too hastily and has many problems. The current owners are in litigation with the previous owners, so repairs are at a standstill.  Meanwhile, the building is roped off to protect us.

 

Dementia, falling, and fires are real threats to this community and are somewhat interrelated.  One hopes that family members regularly check in on their elderly loved ones, but who knows?  I suppose the cost of an apartment here ($1600+) is much less than a Memory Care Unit, which can cost anywhere from $6000 to $8000 monthly, but isn’t their safety and well-being more important?  Why would they think this is the best place for their mother or father?  After all, food is not provided and is not staffed 24/7, much less by anyone medically qualified to care for those who need it.

 

Nevertheless, there are those who are willing to help.  I have had a recent bout with bronchitis.  Several people offered to bring me food, go to the store, or walk Paddy, but my illness was not severe.  Words cannot describe how much I appreciated their offer.

A man in our Literary Circle has taken the resident who falls asleep in the common area under his wing.  They can be seen slowly walking around the building.  Oftentimes, I can hear my Literary Circle friend whistling.  Even before I witnessed his kindness, I found him an amazing and brilliant person. He has a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering and a Ph.D. in English Literature. He’s currently working with someone to translate old English poetry into Japanese.  My friend’s part is writing commentary to explain what the poet meant.  I must confess that his commentary is over my head, and I must read it several times before the light comes on.