My elderly aunt

When I look back in time, I soon realize how quickly time goes by. I say that to you because today I was visiting my ninety years old aunt in her new house, a house where she had never wanted to be before, a new house that has been waiting for her for ninety long years, once  her body told his mind that he could not live on her own. I think you have already guessed that I am referring to an elderly house.

After a multi-functional organs failure, my aunt spent three weeks in hospital. She had never been there before. Can you imagine? Ninety years without being in hospital. She is very strong, it runs in her family. Her father died when he was ninety eight without going through a hospital door!

My aunt did not have children. My two brothers and I are her the only relatives she has but you know what happens nowadays, everybody is too busy to take care of elderly people and this is the reason why elderly houses have become popular in the last years. In my opinion elderly houses take advantage of this situation an charge a lot of money for taking care of our relatives. This is a service that should be entirely covered by social services but, instead of that,  everything in Spain is being cutting down so elderly people could not be an exception.

I have never been to an elderly house before. I have to confess that after my visit I did not feel well, my mind was concerned and worried, concerned because I wondered if my aunt was receiving the appropriate cares and worried about my old age.

Last morning I could see myself sitting in an enormous  living room facing a big flat TV the whole day, without friends, looking at the ceiling, thinking about the blueness of the sea, my best friend, patiently waiting to see the friendly faces of my relatives that come to see me once a week, waiting for the friend that you are never going to see again, waiting for the death.

Last morning, after visiting my aunt, I did not feel well, and I cried.

Vicent