Traveling Companion

Recently, I became the Power of Attorney for an 84-year-old British man, Tony, who has no family and was a patient in a memory care center. For the past 30+ years, he and his wife came to Florida to enjoy the warm winter months from London, England. The wife died in 2015 from cancer, but Tony continued to travel to Florida for the winter months. When my wife and I, who also spend the winter months in Florida, returned in October, we found Tony in a memory care facility. Tony suffers from moderate dementia and aphasia. I contacted the United Kingdom consulate in Miami, Florida to seek their help in returning Tony to London for medical care. With the help of the Consulate and the Florida memory care facility, I finalized plans for the flight to London of which I would accompany Tony. The Consulate arranged for a British medical facility person to meet us as we departed the plane. Tony was taken to a London hospital where he was evaluated and, in time, would be placed in another memory care facility. Prior to the flight to London, I was able to make contact with one of Tony's London friends. This friend was present at Heathrow airport when we arrived. The friend's presence gave me a feeling of relief, knowing that someone would be there for Tony. On my return flight to Florida, I began realizing the need for someone to accompany senior citizens with possible health issues while traveling. The story did not end here. Tony owned a residence in Florida. Over the next weeks, my wife and I sold the residence and paid off a portion of his U.S. debts and memory care expenses. I will never forget my friendship with Tony and his flamboyant personality.