Friday 5 April 2013

F is for freedom - A-Z Challenge - Words of Change. Day 6


freedom |ˈfrēdəm| 
noun
the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint.

Of all the stories I thought of today, one about an old lady that lived in a dementia ward keeps coming up - so I'll try to make it work - and just for a bit of fun, I'll try and use an F word in every sentence.

Florence was a 96 year old, fine featured polite lady.  She was on no medication, not even a vitamin or pain killer - this is rare amongst the feeble. At first glance it was hard to understand why she was being admitted to the dementia ward, her body was able and she appeared mentally stable. 

She was a suffragette, worked in factories, and an award winning artist. She still appreciated great works of art, but failed to recognised them as her own. She had Alzheimer's disease and had become a danger to herself, she got lost checking her mail and nearly died in a kitchen fire. For over 30 years she refused to leave home or give into the limitations of her disease. Her fox like ability to answer questions with questions, gave her the independence she desired. Her family, with best intentions, had to fool her into submission, and just this once, they hoped it was something she would forget.

A dementia ward is a safe place, all doors are fastened. The staff to resident ratio could be better, but most are designed to feel like a home. If you've never been to a dementia ward, or are suddenly forced to live in one, it can be frightful. Adults with child like minds, that never get smarter, forget their manners and where to put faeces. Florence was very afraid. The first few days she graciously asked to go home, and every night she would wait by the door, ready to be picked up or let out. After a week she became frantic, whenever a guest came to visit, she asked, begged and pleaded "please help me escape, I want to be free"

Florence eventually found freedom in safety, by smashing the little glass window that says 'BREAK IN CASE OF EMERGENCY'.  A state of the art security system was no match for Florence.  The sirens wailed, and all the doors and gates automatically unlocked. While staff tried to find the source of the flames Florence, the fearless, escaped to find freedom.

We finally found Florence outside taking a rest and waiting for...something she couldn't remember. She agreed to come 'home' because she was freezing. We requested more staff so we could focus on her movements - but that was never going to happen. The solution was an automatic sliding door to a fenced in courtyard, which meant she (and the other residents) had access to the outside world, with out needing to ask for permission. Yes, she was trapped by her failing cognition but her legacy includes, first-place for freedom.

***

Nelson Mandela - His Royal Highness the Majesty of Freedom deserves a mention, but for Florence, it means accepting responsibility for everything that happens in your life and letting go of all of your self imposed limitations. Allowing yourself to think, feel and say what you want, instead of what is expected. Simply, give yourself freedom to be you. 
***

Is freedom 'just another word for nothing left to lose?'  Probably, but that just means we
have nothing to worry about. 


20 comments:

  1. Your post resonates with me as I've been through grandparents suffering from dementia. It's a disease that is hard to cope when your loved ones suffer from it.

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  2. Dementia is a cruel mistress! I like how you based your character off of someone you knew! Thanks for sharing.

    Shannon at I Survived and Now I Run

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  3. Just a little taste of freedom was all she needed.

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  4. I love Florence's story, especially the solution at the end.

    With all the demands the world places on us, and that we place on ourselves sometimes, I wonder how many of us can truly be said to be free...
    Some Dark Romantic

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    1. In many ways none of us ever are.... we at least have the chance to free ourselves from our own limitations... it's a personal battle for people lucky enough to live in free countries

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  5. Very inspiring story and I like how you told it in such a creative way. It may be difficult to realize how important freedom is until it's taken away.

    Dan Miller

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  6. Totally rewarding at times, but there is definitely room for improvement in the aged care - industry... I would love to see creches and aged care be in the same facility - old and young spending time together throughout the day, and families being able to spend a little more time together in general...

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  7. A lovely post Ida thank you! I also wrote about Freedom and mentioned Mr Nelson Mandela as one of our freedom fighters. And a clip on Janis Joplin's Me & Booby McGee - freedoms's just another word for nothing left to lose .
    Florence - bless her - her story was so real. How wonderful that they were able to instal a sliding door so hat Mother Nature was accessible.
    Terrific post thank you!

    Susan Scott's Soul Stuff

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  8. What an exceptional story. Thank you for finding me, so I could find you. I FIND that your story (at the header) is quite exceptional too.

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  9. What an incredible woman! I hope to be as crafty if I should be lucky enough to live to such an age!

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    1. I've always wanted to smash one of those glass covers. I hope I never have to... :)

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  10. That's kinda sad about Florence, but at least her escape changed things and made her and the other patients' lives better.
    Pretty good job putting an F in every sentence! :-)

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    1. It is kinda sad, dementia is hard to deal with but there is room for joy. Putting an F word in every sentence had me saying the F word a few times but it was a fun mini challenge :)

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  11. Thanks Raymond, It was an attempt at something new for me, the story wouldn't leave me along. I honour your kudos.

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  12. That is a fear I have, of not having control of my life as an elderly, mentally, physically or otherwise. Nice story.

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    1. It is a fear many people have, I keep telling my parents not to be afraid... I can handle any diagnosis or symptom that comes there way, but I hate it when either one of them is scared. I would be more a afraid if I was a funambulist.. (or however you spell it - that was a great post)

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  13. Greetings in return Dear Klahanie,

    If you continue to enlighten with me with delightful words and images like near-life experiences, brevity is not necessary, because I would gladly wallow in your words if you waffled on and on too.

    I love how she saw a sign with simple instructions, her emergency was needing freedom, the sign said break in case of emergency - and she was free - even if just for a few moments, the memory I have is forever.

    Thanks you Gary I'm glad you made it back to earth and here... once again you made me smile :)

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  14. Undoubtedly a combination. It depends on what the hindrance or restraint is, for some people (or countries) it's all of those things, for others it's just one.

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  15. Very creatively phrased, Ida.

    The only dementia case in my family was an aunt... who passed away of cancer before the Alzheimers could really set in on her.

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    1. I still like first place for freedom, which I know I would never have come up with if I wasn't trying to find f words. I hope your Aunt died peacefully, dementia really is terrifying for so many people...

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Feedback and your own stories are welcome.