The police had taken her to the A&E where she was assessed. I called the A&E. My first encounter with a French hospital was rather a negative one, to put it mildly. After being transferred from department to department and a few mix-ups later I finally spoke to the person who had looked after my mother that morning.
She said 'Your mother has been discharged and sent home earlier on. 'I was furious 'Are you telling me you discharged my mother, you discharged an 84 year old woman living on their own, who arrived to you disorientated?' 'She was orientated by the time she left.' I was told. 'What about her physical state, was she dehydrated, well nourished or emaciated?' Silence, nobody seemed to have thought about that. I hung up. I needed to think, I was in a state of extreme anxiety. It was late afternoon by then.
I rang my mother, no reply, thoughts were rushing through my mind, did she make it home, if she did has she fainted from exhaustion or fallen down or was not able to reach the phone. I really didn't know.
Eventually I managed to get hold of a neighbour's telephone number, I didn't know her very well, I had only met her near the lift and in the street a couple of times when I was going out shopping with my mother, who introduced me to her. I knew my mother liked her and that's very important. I was quite embarrassed to say the least but what else could I do, it was the only alternative to calling the police.
I explained the situation, she was very nice and understanding, she said she would go and knock at my mother's door to see if she was there. She also confirmed that my mother looked very thin and confused and everyone was worried, i.e., the other neighbours and the concierge, but did not know how to contact me.
If they had shown any concern my mother would say she was 'OK just a bit tired'. Some time later, which seemed like an eternity, the phone went, it was the neighbour with my mother, she told me my mother had answered when she had knocked at the door but was unable to open the locks. She had to guide her step by step and finally she managed to open it. then. She also found the two telephones were unplugged, no wonder there had been no answer when I rang; it rang on my side but not at my mother's end of course.
I spoke to my mother at last, tried to reassure her and said I was coming as quickly as I could. Next day I phoned my mother's GP and made an appointment with him and asked him to visit my mother. I also said that I was coming and would take her back with me to London, he agreed, it was the best thing to do at the time.
