在一間街坊茶餐廳搭枱，同枱的老伯帶著行動不便的老妻喫下午茶。他拿著過了膠的餐牌，在問侍應阿姐，餐牌怎讀。侍應阿姐也有耐心，指點說：「這些是三文治餐，自選款式，這是西多士餐，這是公仔麵餐…。」
這看來是老伯與老妻很久以來第一次喫下午茶。他喃喃道，30元一個餐這麽貴，兩個人喫一個，另外叫飲品可以嗎？侍應阿姐說，淨飲不化算的。
老伯拿著餐牌，翻轉兩面看完，又不知如何是好，再叫侍應阿姐來解說。又講了一回，見阿姐移步要走，老伯急了，說：「先上一客西多士，兩杯熱檸茶。」
我見他還是拿著餐牌煩惱，以為他不大識字，又不熟規矩，忍不住提他，一杯飲品也要19元，你可以叫一個22元的多士餐。
他有點不好意思地說，現在的餐牌很難看得明，她又耳聾不知人講什麼。
熱檸茶來了，老伯從枱面取紙包糖，讀了出來：「Brown
sugar…」字正腔圓。
西多士也來了，老伯一見卻發急：「這是我點的嗎？」
我才恍然知道，自己是老人科出身也走漏了眼。他不是不識字也不是初來喫下午茶，而是腦退化了，看不懂組合式的茶餐選項，記不住侍應的解說，和自己點過什麼餐。
1 則留言:
I think all doctors should get some sort of geriatric training. One example: my late parents were very close and together went to their cardiologist who had become like their internal medicine doctor on a regular basis. My mother had Alzheimer's but the doctor failed to notice that because my father was always there to answer questions. I failed to notice because my mother functioned OK with my father. However, after the passing of my father, my mother couldn't no longer live by herself. It was at that junction that we knew that something was wrong with my mother's memory. The cardiiologist admitted to me that as a doctor, she failed to detect my mother's dementia thanks to my late father's constant companionship.
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