[speaker001:] So what do you think about caring for older folks Dale?
[speaker002:] Well, I think, uh the elderly is a really neat population to care for.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] They've got a lot of special needs and at the same time, uh, the majority of them don't want to give up the independence that they have.
[speaker001:] Right,
[speaker002:] [Throat clearing].
[speaker001:] very definitely.
[speaker002:] And so you've got a real balance to make there.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] What about you?
[speaker001:] Well, I'm thinking about it more in terms of my parents that are starting to get old. They aren't really that old, but they are, sort of wearing out. My mamma is a dialysis patient
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] and she is only about sixty-four, but she's had some pretty close calls and my daddy has to drive her to dialysis now and so she's phasing out {sounds like} and, but she's also a very, very, very independent person and doesn't like having having people, uh, not being able to do things for herself when she wants to
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] uh, I know they certainly don't want to be in a nursing home, but my daddy keeps talking about it. I don't, I couldn't possibly,
[speaker002:] [Throat clearing] {very faint}.
[speaker001:] couldn't never see him in a nursing home.
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER].
[speaker001:] And my grand daddy also doesn't like, wouldn't want to be in a nursing home. He's ninety, I think right on ninety right now
[speaker002:] Oh really.
[speaker001:] and he's living by himself. My grand mamma died a couple of years ago
[speaker002:] Oh, okay.
[speaker001:] so but, he's, you know, as long as you can have the families take care of the people, I'd like to see them stay at home.
[speaker002:] Yeah, but it gets hard. My, my grandmother is in her mid eighties
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] and she's, uh, suffering from, uh, well, uh, progressive Alzheimer's Disease
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] so she doesn't remember anybody
[speaker001:] Right.
[speaker002:] and, uh, she remembers things, but they are things back whenever she was real young
[speaker001:] Right.
[speaker002:] and so, with, she was living by herself but my, uh, uncle has moved in with her to take care of her
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] and it's creating a lot of problems.
[speaker001:] Right, especially for your uncle I bet.
[speaker002:] Oh yes. Yes.
[speaker001:] Now a friend of mine who was studying social work here in Philadelphia worked for an adult day care program for mostly for patient's with Alzheimer. Do they have anything like that in Dallas.
[speaker002:] In Dallas, uh, yeah. I've, I've heard of several things and they are really neat programs to be able to do if you can link up with them, but sometimes it's hard to either find the connections to get them in or, uh, to be able to get them there for the day program and pick them up.
[speaker001:] Right. So they are pretty limited.
[speaker002:] Right.
[speaker001:] Oh, another interesting thing, another good friend of mine who got her degree in social gerontology wa-, well had a job for a while where she went around to to folks and had them, sort of kicked them in the pants to make them take good care of their older relatives.
[speaker002:] Oh really.
[speaker001:] To make sure that they would take care of their responsibilities.
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] I don't think that was mainly with Alzheimer's patients, but just patients, people in general who were not as independent as they use to be.
[speaker002:] Uh-huh, uh-huh. Well, it, it's, it's a really, day care programs are really neat, you know and if the, if the people are able and and can get up and move and everything like that, that is one of the best things to do, but I think the hardest thing to do is whenever you've got a person who's mentally very alert and active
[speaker001:] Uh-huh {very faint}.
[speaker002:] and their body just hasn't kept up with them
[speaker001:] Right.
[speaker002:] and I think that's in a way it's more, some, an area where some of the day care, uh, [NOISE] programs have left off [NOISE]
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] because you really kind of have to be a little bit mobile to be able to do those.
[speaker001:] Right to, uh, get there and to participate in the activities.
[speaker002:] Right. Cause I know, there's one not too far from from me here in Dallas. Uh, and they have ceramics and pottery and needle work
[speaker001:] Right.
[speaker002:] and sports.
[speaker001:] Right.
[speaker002:] But if your vision is gone and you have arthritis real badly,
[speaker001:] That's true. You can't play those things.
[speaker002:] Yeah, you can't do it.
[speaker001:] But you can sing songs and, uh
[speaker002:] Well, that's true.
[speaker001:] and tell stories about the old times. I guess, you know, you were talking about your, was it your grand mother
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] that was having Alzheimer
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] uh, being able to tell old stories. You can perhaps get a group of people that aren't too far along with Alzheimer talking about the old times and enjoying it themselves that way.
[speaker002:] And they love to recollect. I mean they just, you know, and they will just go on and on with these stories and they have such a memory.
[speaker001:] Do they like to listen to other people recollect though?
[speaker002:] My grandmother doesn't [LAUGHTER].
[speaker001:] [LAUGHTER] [NOISE].
[speaker002:] She, she wants to te-, to tell you about her story over again so
[speaker001:] Right.
[speaker002:] which is fine, you know, so,
[speaker001:] Well, that is good because we,