The other moral of the story is to think before you do your chessed-of-the-day. You should really ask people what they need from you before you go out and do it for them. Bikur cholim is wonderful, but you may end up causing tzaar if you show up unannounced at what turns out to be an inappropriate time; better to call and ask when to come. Or how about when you are a guest in someone’s home, and instead of calling to ask what to bring, you show up with a lovely bouquet of flowers only to find that one of the hosts is allergic. You think you can throw something out and replace with a new one as a surprise, but find out after that the old one either had some great deal of sentimental value, or as was the case here, monetary value…
There are so many examples. It’s important to remember that true chessed means giving the person what they truly need, not what you personally think would be nice and fun for them.