Managing editor
The world was a little more clear Monday for Gertrude Ray and Amelia Vinduska at St. Luke Living Center following a mix-up.
The women spend time together on a regular basis in the close-knit long-term care facility.
They were together when they had their hair washed and styled Dec. 13 in the center’s beauty shop.
The women’s glasses were laid on a counter in the shop while their hair was washed and styled. Cheryl Ray, Gertrude’s daughter, was washing the women’s hair that day. As Gertrude was leaving the beauty shop, Cheryl said, “Oh, Mother. Here’s your glasses.”
So, she took the pair that was handed to her. When Amelia was finished with her hair appointment, she took the glasses that remained on the counter.
“I noticed there was something wrong,” Amelia said.
Gertrude told her family there was something wrong with her eyes.
“I told them it was like I had on someone else’s glasses,” she said. “They probably thought there was something wrong with me.”
Gertrude told staff she thought there was something wrong with her eyes. Amelia also had expressed her concerns about her vision. Appointments were made with an optometrist to have the women’s eyes checked.
Then someone noticed that Amelia’s and Gertrude’s glasses were similar.
“They do look alike,” Gertrude said.
“Mine are a little lighter on the top,” Amelia said.
The switch was made and the women could see fine.
The women kept their appointments to have their glasses adjusted but the local optometrist didn’t charge for the office visit, stating this was the first time he had heard of this happening.
“There’s a first time for everything,” Amelia said.