Once again I want to put on record the excellent support we receive from Focus Adult Social Work. In the last few months, Gary our social worker has worked tirelessly to update our Support Plans to reflect our current situation. That work has now been completed along with sorting out the annual direct payment that is generously provided in this area.
Gary and I will be meeting with our Care Agencies early next month to ensure that their Care Plans have been updated. This will also be an opportunity to discuss the need for continuity of carers and appropriate recording of Maureen’s presentation.
We are also hoping that our efforts to get Maureen psychological support will come to fruition at a meeting that is taking place on Friday. The Home Treatment Team always come to our aid in a crisis but we are requesting ongoing support from a named professional.
Our day went well yesterday with Dianne, refreshed from her holiday in Portugal, putting in a great shift. Maureen was a revelation in her company responding well to Dianne’s interventions. I was happy to leave them and pop out to the shops: such a relief that she was in safe hands after an unfortunate experience on Tuesday.
Clarice Maureen’s aunt visited in the afternoon. There is always laughter in the house when those two get together as they reminisce about the good old days. Yesterday was no exception and we took up Clarice’s offer of a cup of tea when we returned her home and the girls ‘continued to yarn’ .
After tea, I got out a pack of cards and played Patience as Maureen sat alongside me on the sofa. She watched intensely as I failed to complete the game after several attempts. I’m tempted to build card playing into our evening routine and persuade Maureen into the game – she has often told me that she was a great fan of Clock Patience when she was younger.
My lesson from yesterday is to stick with my patience and continue to play my cards right.
It is time to do something that I often struggle to do: to listen to other people before I continue to plough my own furrow. My body and other people are telling me I have to change my ways or my efforts to keep Maureen at home for as long as possible will fail.
I simply have to bite the bullet and schedule a further stint in Ashgrove Care Home for Maureen. Then I can have an overnight stay in Coventry and drive back safely the next day. This will also mean that I can take my mum out for a ride in the car when I visit. She will forget that I have been as soon as I get on the M69 to travel back to Cleethorpes. However, seeing the pleasure on her face as she navigates a ’99’ in the front seat of our car, as we sit in the car park of Coombe Park watching young children play, is something I will never forget.
Dementia: Sharing The Good Times 