R, having been subjected to this ordeal for several years, now refuses to go. And I sympathise. Just because you are old, disabled or otherwise unable to live an indepedent life, why should you be subjected to this kind of thing? The mayoress is no doubt acting in good faith, and probably feels all warm and fuzzy after her afternoon's good deed. But what about the residents? How must it be for them, being handed sweets (which they probably don't want) and tea (which they can buy for themselves) as though they are children?
Something like this happened to me, several years ago, when I was in hospital with a fractured spine. My fellow patients were also mainly elderly. In the run-up to Christmas, we were visited by women (themselves of a certain age, I might add) from a well-known age-related charity, dispensing bags of sweets. We were also visited by Father Christmas and his merry elf, also giving away sweets. It was one of the more cringy of my experiences
Why, when people are old, do we start treating them like children? Do we think they have, as it were, come full circle? It'll be dolls and teddies next, then rattles, then dummies....
Bring on the skatebaords!.
