My wife relayed a story to me today that broke my heart and it pissed me off. A couple comes in with an elderly lady using a walker. The walker had tennis balls sliced open and on the feet of the walker as to not scrape the floor.
They came in for a loan and sat down with a male representative. We will call him Chad. His mom is in elderly care right now and of course, he is very sensitive to these types of issues. So, it didn’t take long before he brought management into the situation.
“What’s wrong,” she asks.
“Boss, you have to handle these members. I just can’t take it,” he says.
“What are you talking about, Chad?” she asks again.
“Just come over,” he says.
The manager walks across the building to Chad’s office and sticks her head in. Not really knowing what was going on or what to expect, she addresses the group collectively.
“Hi. Chad asked me to come to see if I can help you. How can I help you today?” she says in a chipper voice.
“We want to apply for an express loan, and she is just being stupid,” the lady of about 40-years of age says referring to her mother.
“Excuse me?” the manager says.
“Yes, she is just being stupid, and she is making me sick. We do this all the time, and she is acting like she doesn’t know what is going on.”
Taken aback, the manager says, “Ma’am, that’s no way to speak to this lady. Is she your mother?”
“What business of yours is that?” she snaps and then realizes that the person who stands between her and the loan approval just asked her a question. “Yes, she is my mother, but she makes me sick.”
Addressing the elderly woman, the manager asks, “Ma’am, is this what you want to do?”
Afraid, feeble, and stumbling over her words, she attempts to complete a sentence in response to the question the bank manager asked. However, before she could respond through her stuttering, the younger lady interrupts again.
“Answer the God damn question! You know why we are here!”
Mustering all the self-restraint she could, the manager warned the lady, “Listen, this appears to be a case of elderly abuse. I am required by law to notify the authorities in cases like this. If you have another outburst like this, you leave me no choice.”
Now crying, the lady explains that she has had a bad day. They are just trying to get some money so they can go Christmas shopping. She was sorry for her outbursts, and it won’t happen again.
Ma’am, looking at the elderly lady, may I see your identification?
As feeble as she was, she slowly raised her handbook to the top of the desk and methodically attempted to open it. When she appeared to have difficulty opening the purse, the younger woman snatched it from her, opened it, and handed the identification to the manager.
“I’m sorry ma’am, this ID expired in 2015,” the manager said.
With that, the woman slammed the purse on the desk and irately began berating the elderly woman. “You stupid motherfucker. Why do you have an expired ID?”
“I can’t drive, the elderly woman said. They took my car away from me years ago.”
As they began to leave, the manager advised, you might as well have a seat. The police are on their way. If you leave, they will just go to your house. We have your address, so just have a seat over there in the lobby. The police will be here momentarily.
The police arrived within a couple of moments. After 30 minutes of discussion, Adult Protective Services were notified and showed up to open a case with these people.
My blood was boiling with each moment that my wife relayed this story to me.
If you even think an elderly person is being abused or taken advantage of, contact the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institute on Aging. Don’t sit by and watch a helpless, elderly person be abused when you can make the difference between life and safety.
Thankfully, this elderly woman will be receiving the help she needs, and her daughter will be going through counseling. Hopefully, it will make a difference in her cruel and evil life.
