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brodyjames_gw

Caretaker of a different sort...

brodyjames_gw
9 years ago

Hi all, new to this forum, but not garden web. Reading the posts and responses has been both informative and amusing...it's great to see that everyone can still keep their sense of humor!
I don't know if I would call myself a caretaker, but I am at a loss as to where to turn for information.
My SIL lives with us. Honestly, I watch her sometimes and I think she has autistic tendencies....I've caught her rocking and also wringing her hands. There definitely is something "off" about her, regardless, and she was at one point diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.
She is currently unemployed, but looking for work, and honestly, would be lucky to get a minimum wage job. I, meanwhile, am trying to find her low or no cost psychiatric help. She supposedly has medicare, but has to pay monthly for it, which she can't, without a job, so she doesn't. There is no savings. I'm thinking I should go to the medicare office myself and talk to someone, but don't know if that is a good idea?
I have to mention some of the "off" stuff she has done, just to get it off my chest:
We went to the post office together and as we were leaving, she followed me to my side of the car. I asked her what she was doing. She said that she was going to kick the snow out of the wheel well for me. I told her to get in the car. When we were both inside, I asked her if she thought what she just did was a little weird. She had to stop and think about it for a minute before she answered yes. Another time, she went for a walk. I saw her come up the street and into our yard. She then walked over to the windows and peered in. She didn't see me. Next I saw her walk to the back of the house and look in the kitchen window. Again, she didn't see me. She proceeded to sit down at our picnic table. It was 10 degrees or less outside. I let her sit for a minute or two because I was trying to see what she was doing. Nothing....just sitting there. I opened the door and asked her what she was doing. She said that she didn't want to disturb her brother or me, while we were sleeping, by opening the door. I asked her, "So you'd rather sit outside and freeze than come in where it's warm and possibly wake us up?" Her only answer was that she didn't want to disturb us. She repeated it, as if to herself, several more times as she walked away to put her jacket away. Another thing that she does is cry without tears and then she can stop on a dime. My husband yelled at her about something one time and she started to "cry" while responding to him. No tears, but she had the voice you get when you cry. All of a sudden, something else came into her head and she started to talk about it and she was instantly back to normal. Now, I'm not saying that she didn't feel sadness or whatever for that brief moment, but the reaction is really something to see.
Whew! That's not all of it, just some of the most memorable things. Thanks for letting me get that off my chest and for any advice you might be able to give!

Nancy

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