Tuesday

Not gonna lie, I wasn’t looking forward to the visit today given how Mum was well on her way to Peak Active yesterday. Got to The Home as the day shift were winding down. Terri was standing at the door to the front lounge chatting and saw me as I walked down the hall. Her favourite joke is to always remind me how Mum used to yell for me morning, noon and night.

“It’s NIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICK!!!”

“Evening Terri. How are you?”

“NIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICK!!!”

I bid everyone in the rear lounge good evening but only Audrey responded.

Mum was absolutely sound asleep and snoring. I tried three times to wake her without her registering anyone was there. I think I may have missed Peak Active Mum so headed back out. When I get back to the rear lounge Audrey says

“Hello!? What are you doing here?”

“I’m looking for some stimulating intellectual conversation. Have I come to the right place?

The staff all laughed but it left Audrey feeling a bit flummoxed. I won’t to that again. But any embarrassment is all mine and she thanks me for coming to see her anyway. By now, Eleanor is up on her feet.

“Are there any little beds up there?”

“There are but I think you’d be better off going the other way. I’ll show you.”

Her room is right at the front next to the manager’s office. It’s one of the bigger rooms and it’s full of dolls and stuffed toys. If you’re ever signing in at the visitors log book and you hear someone sobbing, that’s Eleanor.

“I’ve got children to look after and they’re all useless. They don’t do anything.”

“That’s kids for you Eleanor!”

We’re almost at the internal security door now and she’s starting to look hesitant.

“It’s just round the corner here. Not far now.”

“No. I don’t know where I am and I’ve never been here before”

“It’s OK. I’ll come with you”

“No. It’s not worth the risk. I’m going back”

“OK then. Good luck”

“Thank-you”

She turns her frame around and heads back up the corridor. It might have been a good idea to move her to an area where there are more staff or to make room for someone who is in greater need of being in the front lounge near the nurses’ office but she’s completely thrown by the change.

Bloody hell.

Author’s Note

My Mum is in a nursing home in a small village in the Thames Valley. The photo is not of the home. I used an AI image generator to give the reader some idea of the home she’s in.

All, some or maybe even none (you’ll never know!) of the names have been changed to protect privacy and hide real identities. If you think you recognise someone then let me know and I’ll edit the post or remove it entirely