Second Helpings

Week Three

We discovered my Dad in what is now referred to as the Community Ward in the only part of the original hospital to remain open. Maybe it makes me an old fuddy duddy if I admit to preferring old-fashioned rooms within walking distance that actually have a name instead of a number. I'm pretty sure 'Community Ward' is a fancy title for 'we're not quite sure what to do with these patients so we'll hide them in here until someone else makes a decision.'

More new doctors and consultants, different nurses, another set of files, charts and notes, but still absolutely nothing from Social Services. I'm informed they've been sent a Referral 2 form whatever that is, and now a Referral 5 which basically informs them the hospital are no longer prepared to fund my Dad's stay and if they don't pull their fingers out, they'll now be responsible for the bill. Scary or what? They're obviously shaking in their little Social Service's boots as three days later we've still heard zilch.

Dad's fine; in fact he's probably in better health than I am at the moment. He has his own small room with a television, a bathroom, three meals a day and plenty of attention from staff. If they'd allow him some beer and a tot of whisky in his morning tea, I think I'd be prepared to foot the bill for him to stay there permanently. At least I'd know he was safe and wouldn't be called out in the middle of the night after he's pressed his alarm button. I'm quite happy to continue bringing his laundry home to wash and iron, although I wasn't too thrilled to discover someone else's slippers, pyjamas and a pair of England boxer shorts mixed in with the last bag. The mind boggles.

Anyway, our plan is to turn one of his downstairs rooms at home into a bedroom, hopefully reducing some of the risks of falling. The downstairs toilet door is no more, so he can't get trapped behind that again. It's going to be a very busy and expensive week as we purchase new bedding, install safety rails and perching chairs, fit new electrical and shaving points and generally do the best we can to prevent further topples. I'm not convinced it will work, but there's no easy or perfect solution to old age problems.

One thing I do know however, is if you want anything doing in this country, you either wait until it's probably too late or you bloody well do it yourself.