If you think about the elderly and how many of them are left in nursing homes or to take care of themselves, it’s really sad. Most of them cared for their loved ones at one point in time, and you would think their family would return the favor.
That isn’t the case for many elderly people. Instead, they are left alone.
They know their families have forgotten them, and they don’t want to intrude on their families. It’s a sad situation for these senior citizens, and many of them are depressed. They are unable to drive or go places on their own. Many of them can’t cook, aren’t able to see or hear, and struggle to do daily things, such as bathe and clean their home.
Nobody deserves to live this way, yet millions of people do.
A recent documentary has shown the world what it looks like from the point of view of these elderly people who are suffering. The Voyager film crew created a documentary about the life of Mary Tony, an elderly widow from Pennsylvania who lives in a small apartment all by herself.
In the film, one of the crew members asks Mary:
“Do you enjoy living here?”
She replies with:
“Yeah I, I don’t mind, what am I going to do, where could I go? I’m by myself. I can’t see, I can’t hear. I can’t live with my nieces, they all have their own family.”
Mary does get to socialize a bit by going to the Easton Area Lifestyle Campus.
A staff member picks her up every weekday, so she can enjoy the company of the staff and other elderly people who are in similar situations. It’s something Mary enjoys and depends on to keep her in good spirits. She said:
“I can’t wait until morning comes so I can go to it. Yeah, I like it down there. You meet friends. You talk to them. You do something to pass your time. Otherwise, like on Saturday and Sunday, there’s nobody here.”
The staff members enjoy spending time with Mary, too.
In fact, they are a few of the people who understand what it’s like for these elderly men and women. They know that elderly people need to socialize and stay active and that the center is a way for them to do that.
One staff member told the crew:
“Some of these people are 98 years old. Their children are now having grandchildren. So, they kind of get pushed off to the side. They’re not as needed, they can’t do as much… so they come here.”
Mary explained to the crew how lonely and bored she gets living by herself at home.
She even told them some of the things she does to stay busy and pass the time. She was a bit embarrassed by one of them, but felt it was important to tell the crew. She said:
“You know what I do? Don’t laugh. I get junk mail, I strip it. And after I strip it, I cut it up small, put it in a bag, and put it for garbage. I have to do something; otherwise, I’d go nuts.”
When one of the staff members found out about this, she broke down in tears. The staff was later invited to visit Mary in her home, where many of them got to know her on a different level and got a better understanding of what it’s like to return home alone. The staff member said:
“I guess I never thought of that after they leave me, and I go home to my life.”
Mary is trying to stay positive.
She isn’t ready to give up on life just yet, and she enjoys being with the people at the center. She hopes she can stay busy and have fun for many years. She said:
“I do whatever I can, and when I can’t anymore then I’m done for. I want to do it for as long as I can.”
She was happy that the crew decided to make a documentary about her life. She told them:
“I love you all for coming. It’s made my day, and I’ll never forget it.”
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
