As I looked at my Inbox at the end of a very harrowing day there is was a sentence of hope:

Hello,

Would you be able to come to Lindsey Hall on Friday 30^th for around 11 to complete the assessment?

Claire

This message from the Dementia Manager at Lindsey Hall Nursing Home helped me to put my day into perspective and remove the bad smell still in my nostrils.  I had become despondent following brief tours of three options for immediate Respite.  They all had that distinct smell, and look, of prescribed disengagement.  I had returned home at the end of my stint reminding myself never to put Maureen into such places.

I have had a reasonable amount of rest in the last 12 hours.  There is a small spring in my step this morning because of light at the end of a very dark tunnel.  In the next few weeks I have to become ‘Patient Paul’ and work with Claire to ensure that Maureen enjoys a smooth transition to becoming  a resident at Lindsey Hall Nursing Home.  How fortunate we are that such a resource is on our doorstep!