So pleased to report we got Mother into the care home, virtually without incident.I had a little wobble about whether I was doing the right thing but when we arrived and I saw the state of things, all my doubts left me. She had absolutely no recollection of me telling her we would be coming today. She had not eaten this morning. She only had one shoe on and had no idea where the other one was - I couldn’t find it either - and bizarrely, she’s been sleeping without any sheets or duvet cover and couldn’t explain why.
Operation Platinum (husband’s name! ) was launched with me legging it upstairs with cases and a list I had compiled before we arrived. I knew I might get sidetracked so I gave myself very specific instructions on what to pack. Husband made her a cup of tea and a sandwich. Adult son got her reminiscing about her formative years in Ireland.
Once I’d got the cases in the boot, we told her we were off to visit MIL and we teetered on the edge of a crisis as she suddenly announced she didn’t want to go, she was in too much pain and we could all leave right now. There was no way I was leaving without her so I laboured the fact that MIL would be so upset if she did t get a visit. I did the parent/child thing of ignoring the petulant behaviour and was just very brisk and breezy about how we needed to get on. There was a moment in the car, just after we set off when she suddenly said, “I hope this isn’t a plan to put me in hospital?” Gulp!
She sulked for about an hour into the journey and announced that she wouldn’t be getting out of the car at the other end but when we arrived, the care home manager and senior staff member were fantastic. They rushed out, welcomed her like a long lost friend, said they were dying to meet her. They didn’t give her time to object or query anything. She had a mug of tea and a large slice of cake shoved into her hand, which she wolfed down and took her straight to her room which had been prepared with beautiful toiletries and fresh flowers. Mother has always loved being the centre of attention and within ten minutes, she was Queen Bee.
I’ve had a splitting headache all day which is now easing rapidly. It must have been tension and the relief of knowing tonight she is in a safe environment and I’m not half awaiting the call from a neighbour about yet another issue.
I'm intrigued how she will be when I visit her. Biddable or angry as a tomcat that’s she was deceived?
Only negative note was, when I was loading the car, I saw another of her neighbours so I explained what was going on. She said, “Yes. I had heard and I don’t particularly like the way you doing it!”
Operation Platinum (husband’s name! ) was launched with me legging it upstairs with cases and a list I had compiled before we arrived. I knew I might get sidetracked so I gave myself very specific instructions on what to pack. Husband made her a cup of tea and a sandwich. Adult son got her reminiscing about her formative years in Ireland.
Once I’d got the cases in the boot, we told her we were off to visit MIL and we teetered on the edge of a crisis as she suddenly announced she didn’t want to go, she was in too much pain and we could all leave right now. There was no way I was leaving without her so I laboured the fact that MIL would be so upset if she did t get a visit. I did the parent/child thing of ignoring the petulant behaviour and was just very brisk and breezy about how we needed to get on. There was a moment in the car, just after we set off when she suddenly said, “I hope this isn’t a plan to put me in hospital?” Gulp!
She sulked for about an hour into the journey and announced that she wouldn’t be getting out of the car at the other end but when we arrived, the care home manager and senior staff member were fantastic. They rushed out, welcomed her like a long lost friend, said they were dying to meet her. They didn’t give her time to object or query anything. She had a mug of tea and a large slice of cake shoved into her hand, which she wolfed down and took her straight to her room which had been prepared with beautiful toiletries and fresh flowers. Mother has always loved being the centre of attention and within ten minutes, she was Queen Bee.
I’ve had a splitting headache all day which is now easing rapidly. It must have been tension and the relief of knowing tonight she is in a safe environment and I’m not half awaiting the call from a neighbour about yet another issue.
I'm intrigued how she will be when I visit her. Biddable or angry as a tomcat that’s she was deceived?
Only negative note was, when I was loading the car, I saw another of her neighbours so I explained what was going on. She said, “Yes. I had heard and I don’t particularly like the way you doing it!”