How do you care for a crazy elderly parent?

You take him or her to a psychiatrist...and they lie to the shrink saying they feel fine and you are just imagining it. The shrink winds up saying [i]you[/i] need therapy! But your elderly parent has slashed his/her arm with a butcher knife screaming, "I want to die!" And been taken to the Emergency hospital for stitches the night before seeing the shrink. (The shrink refuses your request to look at the Emergency hospital records). Your elderly parent has also deliberately grabbed a very personal part of your body and grinned, enjoying your shocked reaction. But you can't convince a doctor.

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cherokeepatti · 61-69, F

If they are slashing themselves and yelling they want to die that is grounds to have them put in a hospital to be evaluated. Seems like the psychiatrist is setting their self up for a lawsuit.

greenmountaingal · 70-79, F

@cherokeepatti None of the shrinks I took her to believed me. None would even look at the hospital records. She had a lot of power at her HMO and no one wanted to contradict her.

cherokeepatti · 61-69, F

@greenmountaingal What kind of insurance does she have?

cherokeepatti · 61-69, F

I think they may be writing her off because she's elderly.

greenmountaingal · 70-79, F

@cherokeepatti This was many years ago. She has been gone for over a dozen years. But it was such a terrible time in my life and I was given no help or advice at all....I guess I wanted to talk about it here and see how others might have handled it. Her HMO was Kaiser and, for all the reasons given in my Featured story, she had a great deal of power there. Anything she said, they went along with. All my complaints to them were ignored. Everyone was afraid of offending her.

Wiseacre · F

@greenmountaingal u seem to have a lot of insight, but need to learn to accept what u can't change..if u want peace, that is..best!

cherokeepatti · 61-69, F

@greenmountaingal wow