Ok, I have been thinking and decided to do a couple of catch up
posts. As my last post in 2011 talked about my Mum it seems to make
sense to do a quick update on that side of things and then talk about
our new 'project'!
I should just say in my defence of
letting this blog lapse that I did start up another one about my glass
making, but recently thought that this blog here could suit two
purposes, one to talk about life in deepest darkest Devon and the other
to talk about my glass work, so that's why I am back (hooray I hear you
cry - I hope!).
Well on the family front my (now) 93
year old father was coping very well on his own thank you very much,
still driving, getting the paper, doing some light shopping - I did a
fornightly (that's every two weeks by the way) supermarket shop until
last June when he suddenly went off and we had no idea why (later on it
was decided that he had had a small stroke which didn't affect his
mobility (as such), but caused him to become very confused and unable to
look after himself. I spent weeks doing a 3 hour round trip several
times a week to visit him in the little community hospital where we
managed to get him a bed (a fine little hospital it was too).
We
(including him when he was able) decided that the best thing to do was
for him to go into a home (not an easy decision I can tell you and as
those of you who have had to deal with this will know) but the most
practical; to be honest I suspect that was what he had wanted for a bit
and he had raised it but I had always refused to accept the idea. Long
and the short of it was that whilst in the throws of moving house and in
the middle of a heat wave, I was also trying to find Dad the best I
could in a care home (and I can tell you that I have seen a few in my
time as an NVQ assessor for care staff!). I did find him one about 20
minutes away and moved him up here (no help from our lovely ambulance
service I have to say which resulted in a rather nasty experience in a
public loo, least said about it the better really) at the end of July.
Now he has the lovely staff at his beck and call with a view over a lake
full of ducks and geese and swans to watch, good food and a comfortable
bed and me visiting twice a week and other family members when they
can. Once the weather gets better we will get him out and about for
some trips (I am so impressed with the home that I have reserved my room
already ;) ).
I know there will be people out there
who have been through this and much worse (at least Dad, now, it
completely back to normal now mentally and has a wicked sense of
humour). It is so hard to put a parent (parents) into care, feels like a
bit of a failure (but there was no way we could have looked after him
here). Also so hard to think of that vibrant, highly intelligent,
wonderful man reduced to an old man sitting in a chair in one room. I
just have to remember that he is getting the best care and he is happy
(and safe) and that's the most important thing.
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