REAL LIFE STORIES

It had not been a good year for Emily Woodruff. After her husband of 60 years died in January she was lonely and increasingly confused, and in June she experienced a stroke, leaving her with right-side paralysis and limited speech. Eating was so difficult that an abdominal feeding tube was inserted.

Dr. Mandel retired from a thriving family practice, where his wife worked at his side as receptionist and office manager. When she developed dementia, he tried to cope at home but she was increasingly confused, missing meals, sleeping all day and wandering all night, and was brought home by the police more than once. Many of their friends had moved into a certain retirement home, which recommended me.

The lawyer was expensively dressed, beautifully groomed and perfectly frantic. “My mother calls me 15 times a day. I have fulltime help for her, which she fires every week. She claims she’s fully independent and can live alone but, but the truth is she’s entirely dependent on me! She won’t agree to anything I suggest, and it’s affecting my job, and my marriage”.

There was a lot of knowledge – and opinions – and tension in the room. Mr. Davis was in hospital after being found in a diabetic coma by the cleaning lady. The social worker was ready to discharge him, but the family had other ideas.