The apple didn't fall far from the tree, and neither did he...

He's a hard working guy, even after multiple heart attacks and strokes. And even though Dementia is starting to creep in and steal his memory, he becomes very focused on a task that grabs his attention.

One day when I came to their home, I mentioned that the neighbor had a tree just full of apples which I would love to harvest for the horses of a friend of mine. He kept that in mind.

On Friday as I was working in the kitchen, I watched Don working in his back yard. I had this "feeling", and was more vigilant than usual. Suddenly I realized he was not by the shed any more. Remembering the spider bite day, I became concerned. I went out to the yard, and looked everywhere, but he was not there. Then I had this idea... 

The apples.

I looked across the street, and sure enough, there was his red wheelbarrow. But no Don. I literally ran across the street, calling for him. I heard a faint reply, but didn't see anything. My heart sank when I looked behind the tree and saw this proud man, lying on his back, knees bent, legs and arms shaking.



I assessed the situation and determined he most likely had not bumped his head, or hurt his back. I asked "Are you hurt?" to which he replied "No."
"What happened?"
"My legs gave out."
"Are your legs feeling weak now?"
"Yes"

"OK... I can help you, but you'll have to trust me."

I helped him into a kneeling position, and then we used the tree to get him onto his feet. My arm securely around him, we walked slowly across the street back to the house. Once there, I helped him off with his shoes in the mud room, and then off with his wet sweater. I guided him to the recliner, and then asked for a blood pressure cuff. His blood pressure was elevated, but not alarmingly so. After recovering in the chair for a time, he tottered off to the bedroom for a nap.

He told me I had saved him. He told me that several times.

When I called to check on him the next day, he said "I'm doing fine, now that you got me out of the woods!"

I do love what I do.

The key, in these situations, is not to panic. DO NOT PANIC. Your panic creates panic. Speak in low tones, and slowly. Guide with your hands while you speak, because there will be confusion. Make absolutely sure that there is no spinal injury before attempting to move a person. Also ask if they feel strong enough to stand. To help an elderly person back to their feet, starting on hands and knees works best. Find a secure place for them to hang onto, to help pull themselves to stand. A chair works best, unless you're outside under an apple tree! Because of Don's confusion, I had to demonstrate the hands and knees position for him to understand. He also stated that he was fine to walk across the street by himself, without me holding on to him. I told him that I was NOT letting go - it was against my religion! This made him laugh. Always keep the situation light to lessen embarrassment. He felt as if I had helped many, many people who had fallen before, by the time we were done. This was a good thing. I know we bonded that day.