Being Alone....

One of my patient's today told me a story of great sadness. The spouse had died just a few months earlier. A past drinking problem resurfaced with this death... and got to a point in which he passed out and laid on the floor for days before someone found him. Bleeding internally from a varices. He was lucky to have been found when he did. Although this near brush of his own death has made him realize that drinking will not alleviate the search he had been on. He understands that he damage that he has done to himself will not be undone. He also understands that he can try to do the best that he can to live the rest of his life as full as he can. I tried my best to be therapeutic... I listened very well to his story indeed. My concern was that when he returns home... will he be able to follow his own advice and discontinue the drinking? Does he have someone who can check on him every day?? I asked him about that one!

This patient isn't the only patient who I have met in my time working at the hospital who has had problems being at home alone with no one to check on them regularly. I realized that something could potentially happen to anyone who lives alone. Isn't there something we could do to help these people who are alone and not in the best of health? Just even to have someone do something as simple as check on them. I just wish I knew the answer. All I could do is ask my patient, and luckily he has someone in which he has made arrangements to have this done. It made the rest of my day go by much easier just knowing this.