Did I do the right thing?

I'm very ill and fatigued.

My mother had a visitor that is a neighbour. She asked me for help. He is 86 years old. He had a fall last week in his garden, He lives alone and has a son that lives far away with a family.

His landline is cut off and I phoned his network. They said they are working on it. He as a mobile phone, but doesn't know how to use it. Apparently he refuses help.

My mother suggested that we call social services as he is very vunerable. They said they will phone my disabled mother so we can tell him when they will visit. She has a device around her neck that she can press if she has a fall.

He dosen't know his son's phone number and we organised this without his consent. We phoned social services so they can give him the device. 

Parents
  • Dear NAS71232, 

    I feel you have done a very caring thing by looking out for a vulnerable neighbour. Hopefully now social services will be able to provide support for your neighbour and contact the son. It is a lot for you and your mother to undertake. 

    Please look after yourself,

    Best wishes, 

    Anna Mod

  • Hi Anna,

    Thanks for the reply. I found out that he has two sons. He is seeing one of them this weekend. I just found it strange that they left him alone without any form of contact.

    I told him to visit us tomorrow so we can teach him how to use his mobile. He needs to have it with him 24/7.

    God forbid, if he has a serious fall, he needs the phone ready and able in his pocket at all times.

    I'm surprised his son's haven't set that up. Bad form.

  • The lack of support from his children suggests that they just want his property. By lack of support, he can't even phone them if he is in trouble. That's bad. The guy is a pervert and comes on to my mother. I can't say anything as he is 86.

    I'm trying to deal with my own problems, but my mother wanted my input to help him.

    I hope he gets the care he needs.

    I'm in a bad place right now. I don't want other people's problems, but I help where I can.

    My health is deteriorating. My stomach has blown out of proportion. Not sure if I wil see 2027. They missed something. There is cancer somewhere. I can't say awake. Constanlty fatigued.

  • This is a difficult problem and I suggest you need to concentrate on your own health issues, as they seem so serious.

    The lack of support from his children suggests that they just want his property.

    There may be problems within the family. It may be that your mother's neighbour has fallen out with his sons in the past and driven them away.

    he can't even phone them if he is in trouble.

    His landline may have been cut off because he hasn't paid his bills and has not responded to their letters. One complication is that phone companies are moving away from landlines to digital. Hopefully, now you have alerted the company, they may deal with him as a vulnerable customer. 

    God forbid, if he has a serious fall, he needs the phone ready and able in his pocket at all times.

    It's good of you to worry about him. I hope Social Services treat this seriously. Unfortunately, many older people refuse help because they don't want strangers in their house. My father refused the care assistance he badly needed for a couple of years and lied to me about everything, until he ended up in hospital at death's door. Social Services became involved at that point and I had to persuade him to let him have the assistance he needed, but he really didn't want it. I hope he talks to them and lets them help him. 

    I got him the fall device your mother has, but he often refused to wear it because he didn't like it. He would put it on when I pleaded with him but he often took it off when I wasn't there. You can only do so much and your own health should be your priority. I realise it's difficult if your mother frets about his issues, but she can't look after him and neither can you, if you're looking after her as well as yourself. It's good of you to have done what you can to help him. Please don't feel guilty that can't do more - it's up to him now. He's an adult and has the right to make his own choices, even if they harm him.

    The guy is a pervert and comes on to my mother. I can't say anything as he is 86.

    I would say his age has nothing to do with it - bad behaviour is bad behaviour. Age doesn't give him the right to do this.

Reply
  • This is a difficult problem and I suggest you need to concentrate on your own health issues, as they seem so serious.

    The lack of support from his children suggests that they just want his property.

    There may be problems within the family. It may be that your mother's neighbour has fallen out with his sons in the past and driven them away.

    he can't even phone them if he is in trouble.

    His landline may have been cut off because he hasn't paid his bills and has not responded to their letters. One complication is that phone companies are moving away from landlines to digital. Hopefully, now you have alerted the company, they may deal with him as a vulnerable customer. 

    God forbid, if he has a serious fall, he needs the phone ready and able in his pocket at all times.

    It's good of you to worry about him. I hope Social Services treat this seriously. Unfortunately, many older people refuse help because they don't want strangers in their house. My father refused the care assistance he badly needed for a couple of years and lied to me about everything, until he ended up in hospital at death's door. Social Services became involved at that point and I had to persuade him to let him have the assistance he needed, but he really didn't want it. I hope he talks to them and lets them help him. 

    I got him the fall device your mother has, but he often refused to wear it because he didn't like it. He would put it on when I pleaded with him but he often took it off when I wasn't there. You can only do so much and your own health should be your priority. I realise it's difficult if your mother frets about his issues, but she can't look after him and neither can you, if you're looking after her as well as yourself. It's good of you to have done what you can to help him. Please don't feel guilty that can't do more - it's up to him now. He's an adult and has the right to make his own choices, even if they harm him.

    The guy is a pervert and comes on to my mother. I can't say anything as he is 86.

    I would say his age has nothing to do with it - bad behaviour is bad behaviour. Age doesn't give him the right to do this.

Children
No Data