I was walking in the park recently with my dog, Sam, and we passed a parked car with an older man inside. The man appeared to be sleeping; at first I thought he was on his phone or even praying, but I was close enough to see that wasn’t the case. He had a disabled parking pass hanging from his rearview mirror.
I decided if he was still in that position on our way back to the car, that I would stop to make sure he was okay, and that he wasn’t having a medical emergency.
I’m not sure if I would have noticed this a few years ago but keeping an eye on the elderly is now more top of mind for me.
I moved to my hometown in northwest Indiana earlier this year so that I could help support my dad, who is 89 and in the early stages of dementia. He’s been diagnosed to have Alzheimer’s disease though I’ve learned a definitive diagnosis is typically found after death.
Dad’s health is quite good, though he battled an infection in early October and the antibiotic he was prescribed knocked him for a loop. Since I came home in early 2023, when I’m in the store or a restaurant or a coffee shop, I see him when I see other elderly people.
Today, he told me that he’d made an appointment for a haircut at 5 pm. Since he is still driving and the sun sets before 4:30 pm, I asked him, gently, about changing the appointment to earlier in the day, on a different day. It’s also incredibly cold today with temps below 25 degrees Fahrenheit.
Dad said he would be fine but he called me back within 10 minutes and told me that he’d changed his appointment to later in the week, and in an earlier time slot. He said it was a good suggstion and that he didn’t want me to worry about him. I’m grateful that Dad listened, which he always does, and made the decision on his own.
As for the man in the car, I did stop and gently knocked on the back seat window of his car behind the driver’s seat. He pretty quickly opened his car door. I told him I was just checking on him and wanted to make sure he was okay. He said he was taking a little nap, and he thanked me for caring enough to stop.
Some days have been challenging for me since I moved home, but my Dad has helped nurture my already-caring side. I am grateful for that and for him.
Mary Guiden 