A new chapter, An empty nest, Drama school & Last year of Uni

Spendless

warby68 said:

A sensible decision for Nan although I expect her response will be challenging to say the least. My mum always responds best to the 'professionals' telling her something she doesn't like rather than me so I would at the very least arrange to have them there when she is told. So far with my mum all the decisions she didn't like have proved to be the correct ones.

Its clear that health regions all operate slightly differently but I found they tend to go back to the drawing board after each hospital admission and the discharge people this time can be completely unaware what was planned last time. Hopefully that was just an inefficiency for us locally but it becomes very time consuming and confusing especially when they tell the elderly person a different plan. 

I'm sure you will stay on the case as necessary but so many things have happened that I never expected to in the world of care for the elderly that I thought anything is worth a mention.

Yup this seems to be accurate. Parents were told last night that they were looking to discharge Nan today. To where exactly is beyond me, she's 100 clearly unwell and incontinent with breathing difficulties connected to heart issues, spending most of the time asleep and barely eating. Nan's SW has already said she can't return home and that decision was made when she was in better health than currently. SW also said that care home parents selected isn't going to be able to meet Nan's changed needs. Parents aren't able to care for her and the assessment centre she was sent from discharged her from there after she spent her first night in hospital and packed up all her clothes for parents to collect. I've told Mum to ring SW and leave it for her to deal with, Can't find out what's going on as have lost my phone in the hosue, Alexa for some reason is just cutting off and not ringing it (pretty sure it has charge on). I cant leave the house to walk to my parents for help as am waiting for a delivery  that is needed for a job we've got someone coming round to do tomorrow. Have emailed Mr S but hes currently 5 hours behind so not even 5am there yet. Stressed isn't the word for it all!

Spendless

Nan hasn't been discharged, she's been transferred to another ward more suited for her needs. Think someone somewhere got their wires crossed. She has perked up a bit since yesterday.

 I waited in for the delivery - a curtain pole and hated it on sight (too thin and in sections).  I ended up ringing my parents, who called after visiting Nan,  I burst into tears over it and they ended up running me to Dunelm to get another. Without a car it's a struggle to get to places here as so much retail  is out of town and then the buses don't run where and when you need them to and though it's walkable, it's a long walk (around an hour).

Phone was eventually found in my work bag. No idea why I put it there as I'm not in for a few days! 

I now have 2 social invites for Saturday a Xmas school reunion and a carol singing service with a friend, however I've ear-marked that time for Xmas tree putting up. How come some days you have nothing on then others a choice of what to do. 

Spendless

Today I have 2 health and well-being appointments. Happy that neither will cost me anything out of my pocket , first is at Drs (yuk!) for some tests. I've been avoiding going for months so it's my own fault, but I was told last time that stress affects blood sugar levels and after events of last couple of months, I can't see that there's going to be a good reading. This afternoon it is off to the beauty college for some treatments. It's their last salon day opening until the New Year and last time of free waxing.

Odd job man came yesterday but there were 2 things he couldn't do. 1 because he hadn't got the part. Not his fault he'd checked the lead time when he'd first priced up the job and that had changed between then and when he went to order last week. The other he discovered was out of his range of capabilities and we need a plumber, he has passed a number on of his contacts, so will message bloke about sorting something out though think it'll probably not be till Jan. We can manage till then. Upside is costs were less so extra cash can stay in bank gathering interest until it can be sorted..

DH flies home from his business trip later today. Has been really helpful for DD having him nearby. She got invited as his +1 to a meal, has been able to hang around at where he's staying which is closer to her school than where she lives. He has more luggage allowance than he actually needs so is going to fetch some of her clothes back as she's heading towards the end of her stay and will be home in time for Christmas which I'm only partly ready for. Thankfully I am not workng this weekend but it's going to be 'all hands on deck' to get things done.   

As odd job man wasn't here as long as anticipated and with  my cold subsiding, went with Dad yesterday to visit Nan. She had detoriated quite a bit since the last time I saw her and was asleep/didn't open her eyes for our visit. She had eaten her starter, pudding and a couple of mouthfuls of mains for her lunch before we got there, which is positive. We could see this as it hadn't been cleared away and when the HC came over to take it, told us what Nan had managed. I did read her out a Christmas card and letter from one of her Neices who lives overseas. There wasn't any recognition but hopefully she could hear. I can't believe it was only this time last week that I was looking for a Christmas present for her when I received a call to say she was unwell and we went straight to see her.

Spendless

Well my appointments ended up being the opposite way round from what I anticipated. Dr appt fine, beauty appointment well I know they're students but this was a different experience to last time. Think what Lauren from Catherine Tate might have been like,  told tutor in front of me she disliked waxing (it showed!). Did a pig's ear of one part which last night and this morrning has  left me sore and slightly bruised and also missed a bit and when I asked her if she could get a hair in another area that she was also doing that   I'd just noticed  was coarse, had a look and told me it wasn't possible cos it was only just slowly growing - I got it at home later with my own tweezers took less than a few seconds! What student was happy to do was tell  me what time she finished class every day and when she'd put her Christmas tree up though (mid November - she was quite shocked mine wasn't up). The (much better)  mature student I had last time recognised me though and came and said hello. She is opening a salon with her sibling not too far from me so I am going to go check it out and move my custom there.

Nan got moved to a single room yesterday, shortly before parents came home from visiting. This was mostly because the woman in the next bed kept complaining about: Nan making a noise if she was in pain,  the conversation from family visiting Nan, the curtain between the two beds being pulled across - which was done to minimise woman hearing, my Nan's only remaining sibling getting upset. Nan's sister is child 11 of 12 born, not surprising she got upset, she's already lost all her older brothers and sisters plus the one younger than her. After several tactuful words to both complaining  patient and staff, Nan was eventually found somewhere by herself. I'm at work this afternoon, so don't think I'll get to visit. 

The laundry fairy spotted or rather heard 2 x £1 coins in a jeans pocket (not belonging to the laundry fairy) before it went into the wash and caused problems with the machine again and then spotted a third £1 coin on the floor, so they have  all been pocketed and the whole lot will go towards my remaining bit to pay back in Jabberwocky. 

This cold can do one. It's playing havoc with my sleep pattern because I feel tired and drained on an evening so go to bed early,only to wake up a few hours later, unable to get back to sleep and the cold doesn't actually go, it just lingers. 

Spendless

Haven't posted on here for a few days as have update Re Nan. Sadly we lost her earlier this week. She never came out of hospital. Can't believe I was literally about to buy her Christmas present last week when I received the phone call from Mum that had us returning home. 

I feel very priviledged to have had a grandparent till my age. DS was able to visit with me and my parents on what was to be Nan's last day. The look on the Nurse's face when she asked who were all were and I said 'great grandson' and she realised she had 4 generations of adults in the room. 

Though she lived to a great age, this has still been a struggle to get my head round as I really thought shed see her days out in a care home and wouldnt be leaving us just yet. . I suspect this was her preference to go as was to pass after everyone had left. A nurse found her after a shift change. 

RIP Nan 😢

Sunshine_girl2

Condolences to you and your family Spendless . 

dawnybabes

So sorry for your loss x 

KxMx

I'm so sorry for your sad loss.

I'm 38 and after growing up with 4 grandparents consider myself lucky to have one remaining, though she lives in another country we maintain a close relationship. 

Humdinger1

Sending love @Spendless.  It's bound to be a shock.  Love Humdinger xx 

satchmo1

May she rest in peace. She did things her way, right to the end.