What part of PEDIATRICS don't they understand?

Hand to God, 

I was called to the clinics 

yesterday afternoon

by Security 

to 'deal with' an 80 + year old lady, 

a  small frail woman, 

wrapped in two afghans 

and confined to a wheelchair.

I was told she had dementia

and that no one had been with her 

since about 9am that morning.

After talking with her,

for about 20 minutes, 

in my best

"I remember this phase with my mother" voice,

I got her name, a rough address

and a phone number -

even if she couldn't remember

to whom it belonged.

Dementia, maybe;

scared, definitely;

embarrassed, beyond measure

and crying to go home.

Calling the number,

I got someone who said she was the woman's daughter.

To say she was surprised

I 'found' her

was an understatement...

apparently she'd dropped her mother off for the day 

"because she needed a break"

and she knew she'd be OK in a hospital.

Who does THAT???!

Good grief!

She confessed she hadn't planned 

to come back and get her, but she would now.

I assured her she didn't need to hurry.

I've never had to have someone 

from the ELDER Abuse Hotline

respond to the hospital before...

first time for everything!

They were waiting for the 'daughter' when she walked in.

Not the day any of us planned!

Sad to be reminded 

life can be lousy 

at both ends of the life spectrum!