One of my new regulars is a familiar face from my days at a certain church. It didn't take with me, but the friends stayed. It is somewhat weird for my client as she wants to serve me lunch and chat about her life but does not emphatically not want help with any ADLs thank you VERY much. I know that if I report her, a reassessment may very well end with her being *placed* in a complex care bed bereft of everything she loves. Since she appears to be clean and clear and living in a sanitized manner, I shall not blab on her.
My visits are always a happy time for her. She greets me with, "I remember that there is something very special about you." What's not to love about that? As she sits in her den, surrounded by paperwork in piles, she admits to me that she does not want to live this way but she does need to go through each and every scap and read it all. Luckily for her, she does not have any children or grandchildren frowning down their noses, whilst eyeing her magnificent property with dollar signs in their eyes. In her case this would be several million dollar signs. Since she had no children, she was lucky enough to indulge in a lifetime of travel and career. "I loved my life" she says with a smile.
Today I heard about the guest house in Tobago. After retirement, her husband asked her if she wanted to try running an establishment in the Caribbean. She told me that she met more titled folk in those 13 years than in the 65 preceeding, since, after all, they bought the place from an Earl. Would I have the tenacity and drive to do that as my retirement? If I had a reliable partner who was always hard working, perhaps. But then again, perhaps not.
Just prior to my leaving, she proudly showed me the sunken living room features which she had custom installed. Hers is the home in the catbird seat along the most prestigious of golf course here in GolfLand. With a flick of her remote the curtains part to show off the 6th green. As I admire the view, she shows me her gild edged, framed certificate from Who's Who. This Lady was a world class decorator. There is nothing in this home that would not go well in any chateau, chalet or castle. There is a whift of 1950s chic about the place, but it is indeed chic.
The one teensy thing that I am pondering that might possibly be a risk factor in this instance, is something I have never run across before. Possibly my clients have not be forthcoming about this or possibly not rich enough but this is indeed something new for me. My lovely client is planning a trip to the USA for treatment in a private clinic for spinal stenosis. This will cost her many thousands of US dollars. At 96, this seems to be slightly risky to me, but then, it is her choice.
The true risk factor is that she suffers from a disease or disorder that causes tremours. It is a contraindictation for this type of surgery. It somewhat amazes me that the clinic she is booked into did not inform her of this. The goal, in her opinion, is to jet the walker.
My hand on the door, I turned to her and allowed as how walkers are good friends for nonogenarians. She looked me in the eye and said: "I have lots of friends but how can I see them when all I have to get around on is this thing. I might live a few more years, so I want them to be good ones."
----
I got the bill for my surgery. Now I know what those doctors were wearing masks for. ~James H. Boren
I learned a long time ago that minor surgery is when they do the operation on someone else, not you. ~Bill Walton
