I am up a little earlier at 4.20 am: usually I get up about half an hour later.  The only difference today is that I have had a couple of hours sleep at the most. I managed to return to the marital bed but have just been woken by my wife sitting bolt upright in bed utterly confused.

She doesn’t know where she is and says something about coming through the wrong door and being in an Auction House.  Not wanting to be rude she has to get up as she is expecting her daughter up from down south.  Her only daughter passed away a couple of years ago. She doesn’t want to be rude but she simply has to get on with things.  I announce that I am going for a walk in the garden and she says she is going to join me.  Fortunately, she is a little late in joining me and I manage to put in a call to Social Services to explain what has been happening in the last few hours.

Over the last few days I have found staff on the emergency Social Services number extremely supportive.  So I update the ‘Night Owl’ and seek the best way forward.  Her shift will come to an end shortly after seven.  I have a much longer day in prospect.  Thankfully a carer will be her for three hours shortly after ten.

We discuss calling in the Mental Health Assessment Team and decide that could well be counterproductive.  I agree to hold the fort until our Key Worker is on duty during normal office hours.

One thing for sure after the events of the last few days I need far more support if M is to stay at home.  There is no way anyone can continue to make the input that has been necessary here in the last few days.  This is easy to write but I am sure it will not be quite so easy to accept what lies ahead