“You can’t keep leaving her there all day.”
“She seems happy enough.”
“How would you know?”
“Look. She has friends there.”
“Who?”
“There’s Mrs. Friedl, Mrs. Abernathy…”
“Both of them as old as herself. And they’re not in the mall all day, either.”
“If you have a better idea, let’s hear it.”
“You know my idea. Medicare pays for most of it.”
“That’s because they know that as soon as you put your mother in one of those places it’s only a matter of months before she’s no longer a problem.”
“Better than dropping her at the mall.”
“Says you.”
A reality for so many…
I wonder what mother thinks of the relative merits of the mall or an old people’s home? You capture the tone of the pair arguing very well; you have them state their positions forcefully but without descending into a quarrel. There’s that little bit of tension, though, that things could go downhill fast. Good writing.
The son needs to investigate a little more. It’s not as simple as “medicare pays for most of it.” I really like this daughter-in-law. She’s a keeper.
Our world has certainly relegated care of the aging into a no win situation for everyone involved. Such a sad commentary.
Leaving her at the mall sounds better than putting her at an old age home. At least at the end of the day she goes home to family. Day she spends happy with her friends.
This is a story which is a sad reflextion on today’s society. But I guess that there’s never been a good way or time to be old and infirm
It’s a lose-lose situation for the elderly across the world. And you can’t really blame the kids beyond a point. I’m sure no one is EVIL, and wants to do it, it’s just that life leaves even them with limited choices.
I’ve often heard of the Nursing Homes in our area referred to as nothing more than “death houses”. People enter but never come out… once they enter friends, fellow parishioners, even family, forget they exist. Is it no wonder then that they die so quickly…. Loneliness can kill just as quickly and thoroughly as cancer. It is a sad, sad world wherein we do not care as we should for our Elders. Sad, indeed.
One day we are all the problem.
I like the way you unfolded this story. Being left at the mall would be infinitely better than a care home imo.
Aw, so sad & unfortunately true. Her talents should be encouraged to be utilised. Unfortunately they are treating her like a burden.