Just to add a little spark
I visit GB every week as a befriender. He is 93 and lives alone since his partner died two years ago. He suffers from dementia and often does not recognise me. Sometimes he gets my name right, sometimes he remembers my face, but most times he hasn't a clue who I am. He is beautifully looked after, and carers feed him three times a day. His family lives six hours away. He has lived in the Gulf, Cyprus, Bahrain and Australia, working as an engineer.
When I see GB I make him laugh and talk for an hour or so, just to stimulate him a little. He laughs a lot and asks me the same questions every time: “Do I have any relatives? Who looks after me?” Each time I tell him he is loved and well cared for. He seems happy. Each week I let his daughter know how he is, and she visits him whenever she can.
GB spends most of his time in bed, but he is warm and remarkably cheerful. When I leave, I say a hearty “Goodbye,” and he always replies, “Thank you, Buddy. Take care!”
It gives me a lot of joy just to add a little spark to his life.
I also visit DB, who is 92. She is a very bright spark who does not leave her home these days, but she delights in telling me off for standing up on the bus before it stopped, many years ago! She also relates the history of my village over sixty-plus years. That is fascinating.
Tim Boddington, Cornhill Companions befriender · March 2026