Big news.
Mother has been offered a room at our first choice nursing home from the middle of next week.
Mixed feelings? You bet.
Naturally, I am pleased that Mother will now leave hospital. But it’s a big difference from returning to her flat.
I like what I’ve seen of the home. It’s just a bit difficult to adapt. And if it’s difficult for me, how will it be for Mother?
Tomorrow I’m going there with her favourite picture, a Percy Henry print, and a few family photos so that when she moves there will be some viual signifiers that this is home.
The furniture will have to wait a little while.
Keep your fingers crossed for her please.
Isobel (and Cat)'s Blog 
How is your Mother doing in hospital now? Has it become more familiar to her over time, and, if so, can that give you some degree of confidence about how she might adapt?
Fingers and toes crossed xxx
Fingers crossed here, too. Very pleased it’s your first choice nursing home. Adapting will be a natural process, hopefully and easier if she recognises her familiar favourite things. Hope it all goes well, Isobel. 🙂
She’s very distracted by people coming and going in the hospital, and gets quite upset and agitated by the noise and activity around her.
I’ve just delivered a few bits to the home; favourite bed linen, favourite painting, newly washed teddy bear, distinctive blanket.
I’m quite hopeful she will settle, but outraged that the state will take all her income, little though it is, towards her fees, and leave her with just £23.50 per week. Hairdressing is £9, chiropody £13, so it leaves precious little for new clothes, toiletries and treats. Quite how she is supposed to pay the service charge on her unsold bungalow remains to be seen.
Good news, Isobel, that your mother has somewhere to go, and it was your first choice. You are right to consider all the upset that this may cause, but the alternatives are not good.
Go with the positives. Any change is going to cause stress, but staying where she is, is not an option.
The financial ramifications are obviously of concern, but not to your mother. I expect you have considered this, and I am sure you will cope, but yes, it cannot be ignored.
I hope this will be a good option, or the best you can sort out. It will be a change, but going back to her flat is not possible, so I think you have to see what happens. You obviously are doing the right thing in making sure her familiar possessions go with her.
I do so hope it works out for you both.
Yes, I think you’re right. Once the forms are filled in and the flat is cleared, I suspect i shall feel differently.
Just catching up…. how are things now?
My aunt has just put the wind up me. i hope for no good reason. I need to send a few emails…
—c rikey…..hope all’s well
It’s just we keep thinking of things we should have asked/told the staff.
Tomorrow is the day!
So sorry about your mum Isobel. It’s terrible watching our parents become less independent and frail isn’t it – I hope all has gone as well as it can today, and that your mum is well cared for in the home that you have found for her. I think we may be approaching similar decisions with my mother and it is so so hard.
All the best
GM
Thanks GM.
I’ve not been called yet, so I don’t think she’s arrived at her new place. I would hope she gets there soon to have time to adjust a little before night.
Good luck with your mother too. Visiting different homes is instructive. We had a hitlist of things the home had to have – en suite loo, flexibility about food, food cooked from scratch on site, personalised menus and activities, animals welcome, no rigid routines, open visiting. That check list helped quite a lot, and we were able to eliminate some places over the ‘phone.