What is Old woman in "Guts"?

The old woman Sheila sees in the movie theater in "Guts" is a symbolic representation of the sick and injured people she sees (or imagines she sees) everywhere she goes. She describes the woman as the epitome of "every frail grandma, every elderly aunt I never visit, every maternal figure who has loved me in spite of my selfishness" (5). Sheila watches as Tim gives the woman directions, completely unmoved by her frailty, while Sheila herself is overwhelmed by empathy.