NO WORRIES

Ninety-three year old “Karl” suffers from Parkinson’s Disease and dementia. Communication is difficult as he is mildly confused and has garbled speech. Karl has trouble hearing even with the use of hearing aids. Karl lives with his wife of fifty-nine years, “Sue”. Sue is nine years younger and does not act or look her age. She is in excellent health and has lots of energy.

The couple live in a very tiny, one-bedroom apartment. Every inch of space is taken up with their possessions. In a strange way, it is organized clutter. Filled plastic bins are piled high to the ceiling. Books, papers, and miscellaneous items are all around.

Karl and Sue have no children. There is very little family except for a brother, who suffers from dementia. Sue is very content the way her life is. She knows her husband is dying and soon she will be alone, but takes it all in stride without any worry. If you ask her how she is coping, she’ll reply with a lighthearted joke.

Safety is an important issue with hospice. Karl is wobbly on his feet and at risk for falling. He can no longer be safely left alone. Sue does leave him to run short errands even though hospice has informed her of the risks. Hospice has a volunteer program and I have offered to assign a volunteer to them. Sue then would be able to run errands while a volunteer could stay with Karl.

It is very difficult to maneuver around in their apartment so Sue is agreeable to moving some of the bins into storage, but declined hospice’s offer to assist her with the task. She states that she can do it herself. I do not think she has grasped the seriousness of leaving Karl alone, even for short periods. I am hoping that she will utilize the hospice volunteer as needed.

Sue has such an upbeat personality. Her positive attitude is likely what has gotten her through many of life’s struggles. She has a tendency not to worry about things, although is aware that her husband is declining and needing help. My one concern is that she will continue to leave him alone to run short errands. I will visit frequently to reinforce safety issues as well as to give them the continued support they need.


NO WORRIES


They live in cramped quarters.
Not much space to move around.
Four storage units are completely full.
They could easily fill a few more.

Rubbermaid bins are stacked ten feet high.
Each one full of who knows what.
Surprisingly she knows where everything is.
She doesn’t seem to mind.

He spends his days sitting on the sofa.
There is no place else to rest.
Behind him are countless piles of books,
stacked neatly side by side.

He’s declining and getting confused.
Garbled speech makes it difficult to talk.
He’s not the man he once was.
She jokes as she attends to his needs.

They have no family or close friends.
There only is just them.
Before too long, she’ll be alone.
She takes it all in stride.

She is content the way things are.
She has no worries at all.