The Social Security office! NOT the Post Office!

[freaktard]

I read FOJK's thread about the confused, elderly auto-repair customer just after witnessing a similar incident yesterday morning at the post office.

The PO branch I usually go to is open on Saturday mornings, but is usually pretty dead then and has only one person at the window. I went in to buy some stamps yesterday morning and caught the tail end of an exchange that seemed like it had been going on for some time. Since I only saw part of it, I've had to guess at the rest, but it wasn't too difficult to put together.

An elderly (I'm guessing about 80 years old) woman had come to the post office on Thursday wanting to know where her Social Security check was. Apparently, she had recently moved in with her son, but had not notified the SS office of her new address, and was having trouble understanding that this was a necessary step. It was explained to her that she needed to contact the SS office, which was downtown, and she left but didn't do anything.

So now it's Saturday and she's at the post office again asking the same questions and getting the same answers and not understanding any of it. By the time I entered the picture, the poor post office guy was clearly nearing the end of his tether, and was explaining to her for what was obviously the hundredth time, "Ma'am, there's nothing we can do for you here. You need to go to the Social Security office, which is downtown at <gives address>, and tell them what your new address is so they know where to send your check. Since it's Saturday, they will be closed today, but you can go on Monday and they will take care of you."

I was afraid that I would be standing there waiting for a long time, but luckily she soon went, "Oh, OK, I understand now," and left.

I paid for my stamps, which took about 15 seconds, and got out into the parking lot in time to see her climbing into the passenger side of a big pickup truck. I assume the driver was her son, who I guess couldn't be bothered to help out his obviously confused Mother. As she was getting in, I heard her say, "He says I gotta come back here on Monday."

*sigh* Not her fault, I suppose, but still...

[Becks]

Her son should go in with her to hear what she's being told.

Or get a damn clue on this own that the SS office would be a better place for this.

[texasbelle5]

I feel very sorry for this poor lady. She is suffering some sort of confusion or senile dementia and her son is either too stupid or uncaring to speak to people in his mother's behalf.
Of course, given her advanced age, the son could be suffering early alzheimers too.

[Difdi]

If I were close enough to hear her say something like that, I'd go up and knock on the driver's window, and tell him what the clerk really said to her.