Today’s wet and cold ride back from visiting my wife reminded me that this time last year I was starting to look forward to her respite stay and what turned out to be a particularly wet and windy November cycling trip to the Scottish Borders. Back then, as my 'dementia diary' shows, things were definitely on a downward spiral. I was facing the difficulty of preparing for her respite stay, packing for my trip and finalising the dog’s boarding arrangements without her knowing about any of them.
I had not even considered that she might no longer be living at home with me when I made arrangements for another respite stay to enable my cycling trip to sunny Malaga next week. The fact that she is now in residential care makes planning the trip and life in general easier in many ways. But this will be the first time since she first moved into the home that I will not be able to visit her for almost a week. It is cold comfort that, probably, she will not notice.
I had not even considered that she might no longer be living at home with me when I made arrangements for another respite stay to enable my cycling trip to sunny Malaga next week. The fact that she is now in residential care makes planning the trip and life in general easier in many ways. But this will be the first time since she first moved into the home that I will not be able to visit her for almost a week. It is cold comfort that, probably, she will not notice.