By Linda Forse
There was once a man
who lived all alone.
His wife had Alzheimers
and lived in a home.
Little by little
her memory waned
until his wife knew
neither the man nor his name.
The bills for her care
continued to rise,
yet this man loved her;
she was the world in his eyes.
He wanted the best
for his once-loving wife,
so he decided right then
to take his own life.
His Social Security
and sale of their home
would pay for her care
when she was alone.
So no neighbor would find him
he devised a plan:
he would call 911
before he did himself in.
He would do it outside
where his wife used to garden;
no mess to clean up,
no stigma nor burden.
He then took his gun
and went outside to the yard;
one last look at the sun
and then he was gone.
When the cops came
they said, “What a man!
Considerate and selfless
to the very end.”
14 comments:
I heard this story from a man who bought this truly gentle man's car at the estate sale. I could not get it out of my mind and had to write some kind of tribute to him. I remain in awe of him.
$100,000 or more a year for full-time care in a nursing home for an elderly parent, husband, wife, or person with Alzheimers who can't take care of themselves and needs supervision and assistance in all daily life activities. Medicaid will provide if you sign over your house to them and you have no assets which they will turn over every rock and crevasse to find. Meanwhile, our fine congressmen and congresswomen have voted themselves the Cadillac or (even) Ferrari of healthcare plans while they argue amongst themselves about Obamacare. The fox guarding the hen-house is what it is. We, as Americans, should be able to provide better for those who are ill and for those who are aged and unable to care for themselves.
A while ago my father was put in a home and my mother could not pay the bills. I understand. We had to sell everything. It wasn't enough.
Forget about housing the wait is 18 months and you have to compete against Matamoros residences they ALL live here, in low housing programs. They ALL qualify for every entitlement program available. I know of a lady that has THREE providers and walks and dances better than you and I and drives around in a late model van all day. Pinche raqueta de mojados...
It's tough to think about it, Mom had Alzheimers, she is gone now.
The people that work for the institutions that care for Alzheimers patients are for the most part a Good send, they seem to really care. The companies that own the Assisted Living and Nursing Homes on the other hand are not so much. Anyone that is going to have to put a loved one in one of these places be very careful and do your research before you make the commitment to leave a loved one in one of these places.
This story is about everything that's wrong with our "health" care system. The politicians have no worries and the little people pay with their lives. Literally. As we all get older the scarier it gets. Nursing homes are scandalous - the abuse that goes unreported. Yet they make us pay thru the nose, and in this case, his life.
The medicaid, HUD, public housing city and county are all somehow rigged against citizens of this country. Go to a local public housing and you will encounter 90% of its residents are from mexico and there are many homeless citizens here and no one helps. They rather go to the border and into mexico to give help.
I recent went to one of their meeting (housing) and most of the people there kept yelling to the presenter to talk in spanish. They can't even learn the language.
The majority of these people have NEVER worked one lousy day in this country, not paid one penny for taxes and they expect this country to support them.
GIVE ME A BREAK! PINCHE MOJADOS...
Unless you have an extended family nearby, a family who cares about you, you are screwed when you are incapacitated. There is no one to "take you in" and if you go to a nursing home, nobody is around to advocate for or check on your care. The baby boomers are in deep - they have few family around and most have no kids (usually a conscientious decision on their parts)- they take a fall and end up at the mercy of a health system that will kick them to the curb once the funds run out. Longevity in the US is a living hell. I really feel for this man who made such a difficult and selfless decision.
They look at the numbers ($) first before any help is administered or offered.
The "best days of our lives" i.e. retirement, depend on your Social Security and your savings. You fall down, have Alzheimers, need round-the-clock care, you are fucked. Keep in shape my fellow boomers.
I used to go walk and run at veterans park but stopped doing that. Its full of dog shit and stinks like hell...
Let's hear it for the non sequitur! Thank you 4:18 pm! You make life truly a non compos mentis litany of balderdash!
Coming from a so call Newfoundlander which I believe he/she is not and I venture to say its either a nutf*** or a wanna be nutf***, and love dogs, dog shit and the aroma it emits.
So glad some idiota can use google to try to impress.
This man did the last act of love he could afford for his beloved. What is life without stories like this? I will always think about him.
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