WEEKLY CHAT (NON-OSPREY) SUNDAY JANUARY 8 2017

Morning all. Here's to a good week for all.

  • ANNETTE   Mum doesn't live with bro, but he is only a 2 minute walk away and pops in 2 or 3 times a day. He also buys food and household bits and bobs and keeps a eye on what the carers are doing. He now tells me have is going to check on Mum at 2200 and do all the nighttime preps.  He has had a rough time of it recently as she was in the habit of getting up and wandering around the house at 0300.  The alarm would go off and the company who run it would fetch bro to go and help. He was getting really tired. He has found that by going in to visit late evening she isn't getting up in the middle of the night, so he can get a decent nights rest.

  • OG   The decision is entirely up to bro.  He has PoA both financial and welfare. OH and I are of the opinion that she should be in a care home now and definitely sooner rather than later.  Although he has phoned he hasn't actually asked my opinion, though as we now only visit 4 or 5 times a year, perhaps that may be understandable. He is obviously in a much better position to know what's best.

  • DIBNLIB - pleased to see your Brother's late evening visits are preventing early morning wanderings!  I was so lucky that my parents always planned for their increasing care needs, and at the time of making decisions were able to join in family discussion (it also helped that I was the only offspring and had experience of the various homes from making church visits, so the choice was easy).

    Ospreys Rule OK, but Goldfinches come a close second!

  • Good evening, all.  Limpy and I did pop out for a while this afternoon (no mischief involved!) but we didn't see everything we would have liked to.  I did manage to get a few snaps from around our neighbourhood before we headed out, though - click on this curious jackdaw to see a few more:

    Our herring gulls are red listed birds.  Think about that the next time you hear some flaming idiot calling for a cull of them.

  • Dibnlib, you and your brother have our sympathy - as well as your mother.  Does he feel she needs to be in a home?  It does sound like he's having to do far too much on a daily basis.

    Our herring gulls are red listed birds.  Think about that the next time you hear some flaming idiot calling for a cull of them.

  • CLARE   Thank you  My brother is pretty well going to keep Mum at home, till he has no option. She used to go to a day centre 3 times a week. They would pick her up and return her. She is still on their books but recently she has been deciding not to go. It can't be long before bro is told her attendance doesn't warrant keeping her place open when it could go to someone who would attend regularly.  My OH thinks this may be the turning point to force his hand.

  • Good evening all.  BRENDA's OH phoned.  Unfortunately, BRENDA herself is quite unwell and is currently in hospital.  He said he will phone again with any news.

    Ospreys Rule OK, but Goldfinches come a close second!

  • Thank you for news of BRENDA, OG.  Very sorry to hear it. 

    I did wonder, as we've not heard from her for a long time.

  • Dibnlib - Sorry to read back and see the problems over your Mum's care. It's hard enough in these cases, even without living so far away, as you do. Your brother will have to decide what's best, as OG says - he is the one on the spot, and responsible for things as they stand. I expect he will have to give in, eventually, when she is no longer safe to be alone at home. You will both have done your best for her, which is all anyone can do.

  • OG - It is an old photograph of the little poppy which grows underneath one of our acers: it's the kind which has flowers on short stems and are very delicate, they only last about two days. I will try to remember the name of it!

    Picture from June 2013.....