This evening on the way back from dropping the kids at karate, I stopped to chat to an old lady standing in her front garden. She always used to chat to me when I walked the kids past her house to playgroup. She's lovely, but tonight she was scared.
She thinks her neighbours hate her and that they want to deface her house - she showed me some damage where she is sure someone is coming and picking the cement out from between the bricks. She tells me they are stealing the plants from her garden.
I told her to ring the police, but she didn't think they would bother to come.
I asked about her family - she has a daughter who lives away and doesn't visit EVER.
I told her to go back inside, she was freezing, but she was afraid 'they' would come back.
I told her I would pop along a see her every evening to make sure she is ok, but it didn't feel enough, so I made a phone call to get some advice from Social Services. They were really helpful and advised me to phone the police who would make sure she is safe and carry out a sort of assessment on her health.
Here's the rub - I don't want to freak her out with the police arriving at her doorstep, but she is scared and she might be ill.
What do I do?
3 comments:
Do as you said, visit her again and see if she is equally as scared. If she is, unfortunately, ill in her mind, she may not remember. She may be a little less scared. If there has been more damage, then suggest to her you ring the police and ask for a female officer to visit her when you are available to attend as well, so you can reassure the lady. Sorry that's all I can think of.
I agree, though did have a little chuckle at the thought that she won't even remember!
All I can say, from personal experience, is that if someone hadn't helped out my Aunty when she was in a similar situation, she would still be at risk. Now even though it's hard, she is being looked after in a low risk place.
Well,I rang the police today and they were brill. They have a Community Police Unit and I spoke to 'Tom' who then contacted Social Services(!) However, a lady called me back and told me my ladies name and that they have contact number for her and were going to try a ring on the hour every hour today until them went home to try and arrange to go and visit her. They said I can still check on her so I'm going to do that after tea. Thanks for your thoughts.
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