A huge rush. So many elderly patients in a queue waiting for their turn. So many aged parents, alone, seeking medical attention at Dementia Clinic in JLNM Hospital. An octogenarian woman, with wrinkles on her face, holding a cutting of newspaper in her hand, securing an old man to sit on the examination stool beside me.
While opening this piece of newspaper, the old lady said, “Is this the same clinic, someone advised me to get him here. He is not feeling well, I am his wife and he does not even recognise me”. This was the cutting of the advertisement of the Dementia Clinic in her hand.
Folding the paper that was on my table, the old man didn’t respond properly to the questions. Though he responded verbally a bit, but he was expressionless.
So, his wife anxiously replied to all the queries. After examining the old man, I wrote a prescription and there were some medicines that would require a young caregiver to make the dosage understand.
Thus my colleague said to the old lady, “Who is with you? These medicines need to be procured and I will make your attendant understand the dosage”. While cajoling the head of her husband, the old lady replied, “I am sufficient to take care of him, you tell me and I will understand”.
After a few more questions, the old lady said that both of them are struggling with high blood pressure and some other medical issues. They have three sons and all of them are living in their own houses after their marriage.
This old couple lives separately. Though they were financially independent, it was for the last four months that none of their sons had visited them or called them. None of them is ready to shoulder the responsibility of their parents. This old lady bravely took care of her husband.
When both were about to leave, the old man took one slip from the slip pad and placed it in front of me and said, “ She is weak. Please write some taqati (supplements) medicines for her” We got surprised as he had was not recognising anything, I quickly asked him, who was she? He replied, “She is my wife”.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author.
The facts, analysis, assumptions and perspective appearing in the article do not reflect the views of GK.