h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Some visitors to my journal may recall that last year my elderly grandparent, May (95 years old!) suffered what was thought to be a series of mini-strokes, collapsed in church, and subsequently was taken off a load of heavy medication for which she was heavily over-prescribed.

She seemed to improve after that, but her health has recently has taken a rapid and sharp turn for the worst.

She is now almost totally blind, restricted only to peripheral vision as a result she can;t fed herself.

Her skin is continuing to deteriorate.

She was found on the floor by one of the care assistants who came to visit.

She gets up in the middle of the night (no sense of time) and goes wandering round the flats where she lives. When she gets lost she bangs on peoples doors waking them up.

and most seriously of all, last week she got out of the building and was found wandering in the road by a motorist who took her back. Luckily she goes to bed fully clothed these days so she wasn't given a chill by the early morning temperatures.

But she gotten to a state now where she has passed beyond our ability as a family to care for her and far exceeds the kind of care that the flats she currently resides in can provide.

I gather there is a final decision, due on Monday to see whether the council will fund her care, but it's expected that they will, and by Wednesday she''ll be moving into a nursing home where the kind of attention she needs is available.

No fun getting old and dying from it.

I reckon it's the best place for her.

Have thought she need a more interventionist care for a while, it's s shame really she had to decline so much before this happened.

The social services were the other day trying to maintain the pretence that she didn't meet the criteria for nursing care.

One has to wonder what those criteria are.

where they are able they like to keep people as independant as possible

I hope you get the care you need for her, Clive. It's tough being on the outside.

Thanks guys!

Taff,

Yes, but her dependence is now total, her independence is limited now by the degree of confusion (she apparently no longer recognises my aunt , her daughter) and the loss of sight means she requires someone to feed her, and these things all quiet apart from her physical frailty.

I think having nursing staff on hand is precisely what she needs, so sure as independent as possible, with the observation that what little independence remains for her isn't much at all.

ManPal.

Sounds what you really need is a place in a RGH...

Council homes will not really fit in with nthe needs.......


(Oh yes! RGH is Registered Geriatric Home)


GT

Sorry to hear this, fella

Some good news: As of Wednesday Nanna has been moved to a nursing home, the council were fighting tooth and nail to send her to somewhere my aunt took one look at the level off care available and ran from.

She was pushing to get her into somewhere different, the council said they wouldn;t cover the additional cost, so this meant all the children having to stump up I think it was £350 a month which given that all my aunts and uncles are now retired themselves and my parents shortly to be heading the same way was going to be a terrible financial burden.

I think Maura read them the riot act and negotiated to let Nanna's pension cover the over-lap, so the outcome is Nanna is now in a place where she will be cared and looked after by competent professionals.

Apparently, the transition was quiet smooth, given her lost sight and general confusion, there wasn't much in the way of histrionics for which she is legendary.

I think everyone is very relieved all round.

Glad to hear that you got it sorted.

Ah, good.

oh

Smashing news Clive!!!

I have an Aunt in a RGH, and in her nineties is doing well!!!



GT