Elder Parent Scares Daughter—News at 11

We had a scare with my father this morning. He left his residence with his big red walker and said he was going to Church. That wouldn't have been so unusual if he were Catholic, was going to early mass, and there was a Catholic church within walking distance. However, his church doesn't meet on Fridays, and he left at 6:30 in the morning!!!

So, about 5 of us went driving around the neighborhood, and one of the caregivers finally found him. He had walked about a mile, which is way, way too far for an 82-year old man with diabetes and neuropathy in his feet, plus gout to walk.

All I could imagine was him getting mugged and left for dying in an alley somewhere.

When I saw him giggling with the caregiver who found him, I wasn't relieved; I was angry. He loved the attention; he relished the idea that so many people were out looking for him.

I won't tell you my response to him when he entered the residence.

A few things concerned me:

First, that he was allowed to go anywhere at 6:30 in the morning on a Friday, when supposedly the caregivers know his church's schedule.

Second, that the caregiver on duty didn't tell her supervisor that he was gone until 8:15.

Third, that no one called me until 8:30 am; I feel the caregiver at 6:30 ought to have called me immediately to confirm he was supposed to go to church, or at leats confirmed with Dad that he knew that it wasn't Sunday! ()*&#!(*&()*#^)(*&&#$!!!!!