"Norminn" wrote in message

stuff snipped

Good grief! The gadget ideas are generous, but it is time to face
it...the elderly gentleman should not have stairs navigate if he cannot
do it safely! Either needs to have more suitable living arrangement or
consider assisted living facility. If he is anything like elders I have
known, he would fight it kicking and screaming....

And spitting blood. He's made it clear he wants to die where is he.
Repeatedly. And loudly!

it is time to at least
have the conversation, especially if there is no family close at hand.

Everyone in the family is in agreement - except for the subject of those
talks. This is one of those very obstinate people. He only agreed to wear
the pendant after spending several hours on the kitchen floor when his new
artificial hip gave way. He's apparently got one of the hips that's been
recalled but he has no interest in getting it replaced. He's 81 and his son
says he's ready to die and he wants to do it at home, not in assisted
living.

The argument, with elders I have known, is "I don't want to give up my
independence", but they actually have a great deal more security and
freedom in assisted living. I've known elders who, on their death bed,
would not let their driver's license lapse; being that tough and ornery
is probably, in part, why they lived very long lives )

He did just give up his car (setting off a minor family feud) to his
daughter but only after his insurers sent him a letter saying he had "much
more than the typical amount of claims" (which set him off no end, so his
son says).

I tend to agree that he should be restricted to one floor (now he is because
he's so banged up). His son now feels that getting the lift was the wrong
thing to do and that this event should have been predictable. The lift
company says the chair stopped because the railing installation was not not
properly done by a company approved vendor (it was not - it came used). I
tend to agree because while some supports were attached to studs, others
were anchored with plastic anchors according to what I've been told. But
that's without seeing the actual installation or seeing any pictures. I
just think anchoring something like that to wallboard at all is a bad idea.
The installer has since gone bankrupt (this is out in Fresno, CA) so there's
no recourse there. )-:

For me, this serves as a reminder that sometimes good intentions have a way
of working out badly. The next thing planned is to keep him on floor one
and to get a housekeeper to live on the deserted second floor. This is a
guy who's lived alone for over 20 years. I'm guessing he will like the idea
of a roommate as much as he likes assisted living.

--
Bobby G.