Be observant when visiting the elderly this holiday

friendsThe holidays are a wonderful time to visit family and friends— bringing the kids to see Grandma, visiting Aunt Betty or taking some homemade cookies to an elderly neighbor. If we just keep our eyes open during those visits, seniors can tell us a lot about their needs. Seventy-five-year-old Aunty Honey lived alone after her husband passed away. Amy visited her Aunty Honey each year while in Massachusetts to see her sister. But Amy’s visit last year was something altogether different. “At first glance I didn’t notice a thing” Amy said. “Aunty Honey was happy to see me; she was enthusiastic and shared stories of her childhood. Then I noticed Aunty Honey had a few stains on her dress. During our visit she offered me tea in a dirty cup, and the milk was out of date. “That was like a red flag to me,” Amy continued. “I began to look more closely and noticed she had some large bruises on her shins. I also noticed that she didn’t have her glasses on. I inquired about them, and Aunty...

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