Today Mother is going to the Day Centre on a Monday for the first time, having been going on Wednesdays for a couple of months. She always gets very stressed about going, though is sunny when she gets home. The bus comes at 8.45.
So, the usual 7.30 onwards stress of getting up, bath, dressed, breakfast, have I got my diary in my handbag, have I got any money, where am I going, am I staying the night, what is this place I'm going to, oh I'm so confused ... and when the bus was half an hour overdue, at 9.15, I phoned the day centre. They'd forgotten to tell the bus driver to come and pick her up (they'd realised and she was about to phone me). They'd be back for her "soon".
10.35 they arrived for her. So that's been almost 2 hours of extra pre-day-centre stress for both of us. Of course when the driver and escort came to the door she was all OK, just "I'm feeling out for the count today" quite calmly. I'm now all wound up and finding excuses not to get on with any of the paperwork etc I'd promised myself I'd get sorted out today (when I can put a piece of paper on the dining table, turn my back, and know it'll still be there and not "tidied away"!).
I'll catch up on last night's Archers on Listen Again, and then try and get on with stuff.
It feels a bit cruel sometimes packing her off to the day centre, and she sometimes says it's dreadful, but SW says she seems fine and chatty when she's there, and she certainly seems OK in the evenings, if a bit tired - spending a whole day with other people around her, rather than at home with me in one room on the computer lots of the time and husband hiding in our bedroom reading railway books or doing his OU course! And we do need the break. And if we weren't here looking after her she'd be in a care home 24/7 which she says she'd hate, so 2 days in day centre and the rest of the time in her own home with the views and possessions is not such a bad deal.
Pam
So, the usual 7.30 onwards stress of getting up, bath, dressed, breakfast, have I got my diary in my handbag, have I got any money, where am I going, am I staying the night, what is this place I'm going to, oh I'm so confused ... and when the bus was half an hour overdue, at 9.15, I phoned the day centre. They'd forgotten to tell the bus driver to come and pick her up (they'd realised and she was about to phone me). They'd be back for her "soon".
10.35 they arrived for her. So that's been almost 2 hours of extra pre-day-centre stress for both of us. Of course when the driver and escort came to the door she was all OK, just "I'm feeling out for the count today" quite calmly. I'm now all wound up and finding excuses not to get on with any of the paperwork etc I'd promised myself I'd get sorted out today (when I can put a piece of paper on the dining table, turn my back, and know it'll still be there and not "tidied away"!).
I'll catch up on last night's Archers on Listen Again, and then try and get on with stuff.
It feels a bit cruel sometimes packing her off to the day centre, and she sometimes says it's dreadful, but SW says she seems fine and chatty when she's there, and she certainly seems OK in the evenings, if a bit tired - spending a whole day with other people around her, rather than at home with me in one room on the computer lots of the time and husband hiding in our bedroom reading railway books or doing his OU course! And we do need the break. And if we weren't here looking after her she'd be in a care home 24/7 which she says she'd hate, so 2 days in day centre and the rest of the time in her own home with the views and possessions is not such a bad deal.
Pam
