Stories from Caregivers: Robert from CALIFORNIA
CA
Robert
FROM CALIFORNIA
I met Richard in Prunedale, CA in approximately 1996 when I was working as a clerk for Ace Hardware. He was referred to as Cadillac Man, because that is what he drove. OMG but it was run down and would constantly break down on him. At that time, he was about 67 years of age. Well, one afternoon I saw him walking with 2 bags of groceries on his way home. No car. Well, he lived on this road called Castroville Blvd. Rather steep incline for about 2 miles from the side he was preparing to start up. I stopped and asked if he needed a ride and he said yes. Well, I took him home and from the roadway to his broke down car was about a mile walk. I found he was living in his car and had 2 or 3 other vehicles that he was using to keep his food supplies and so forth. Well, he contracted bronchial pneumonia and was rather sick. I hadn't seen him for a couple of days so I went to check on him. When I found him, I immediately said he was going to the hospital. He had no one to take care of him and he would have died up there by himself so I just told him he had no choice but to come and stay with my wife and myself. We have seen him through 3 back surgeries and nursed him back to health. He has been very helpful and has been integrated into the family. When he was able to help me, we dug post holes for fences and helped align the fence lines. We have horses and goats and he has certain chores to keep him active. He can't do much more but we do our best not to let him sit and vegetate. He complains that we are too tough on him, but this October he will be 86 and we are trying to keep him around to see himself on the Smucker's jar on the Today show when he turns 100.
