It was a Collective Sigh of Relief at 7th and Montana this morning as Joyce revealed that she took some steps to hopefully ensure that the elderly woman once known as "Mother Goose" for her tendency to show up at Starbucks half-naked gets the help she needs. You see, at first we thought "Mother Goose" was just another Local Eccentric, but, over time, her behavior has become increasingly erratic. Several weeks ago, when she began routinely tottering back and forth across 7th Street amidst oncoming traffic, we knew something was terribly wrong. The problem has been, how do you handle a situation like this delicately enough to get the woman some badly needed help without upsetting her? One couple famously courted disaster by confronting her directly. "Are you disoriented?," they asked. Not surprisingly, she exploded into denials more vehement than Richard "I-am-not-a-crook" Nixon. Joyce, however, quietly came up with a better idea. She visited the independent living facility where this woman lives and let one of the employees know that we're concerned for her safety. As a result, the management in her facility is notifying her family -- who live overseas -- and, with any luck, help is on the way.
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I suspect Ken will have more to say about this tomorrow. In the meantime, I'll say that I'm hopeful that she will be monitored a little more closely and kept out of harm's way.
Hugs, Beth
I'm glad she is going to be getting some help.
You would think the assisted living center would of realized there was something wrong already. It's kind of worrisome they didn't. (Hugs)Indigo
it's real good that the 7th and montana crew has a bead on her.
My mom was a cna and believe me some of them sneak out.
It was great that someone brought that to the facilities attention
Kudos to Joyce for showing initiative and compassion.
Hope the family is contacted soon and that help is provided.
That was good that the facility she lives at was notified. Clearly, she is no longer able to live independently!
If only there were more Joyce's in the world.
Gaz
I can relate that the direct approach does not work. I ran into an elderly at the grocery store and she had misstepped and almost dropped her purchases. When I offered to assist, she bit my head off. Alrighty then. Glad your friend was able to contact the personnel, and I hope someone will follow-up to make sure it happened.
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