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the last 3 years something always gets in the way. And I certainly
didn't run around
Town grabbing lots of festive photos for the blog last year, something
I do most years,
and it's what I'd like to get back to now that December is here, what I
call the true
festive period, not November. Perhaps it'll be a welcome distraction
from this new end
of year dilemma.
You see, just 4 weeks ago my oldest and longest friend had a bad fall
while out shopping.
So he was rushed to the local Paddington Hospital, where by the
following day he had
emergency hip repair surgery.
Since 2022 I've noticed a decline in his memory and he's clearly
suffering now from
Mild Cognitive Impairment and regularly gets confused while still in
Hospital, where
he keeps questioning why he's even there. And so over the last 4 weeks
I've been regularly
making the long journeys to see him. Where he's always thrilled to see
me. And
everything suddenly makes sense when I turn up.
But the hardest part of this past month was a four week campaign to
declutter his
chaotic Flat, starting with the bedroom, the Living Room, the
impassable staircase
and finally the Kitchen (below) where plates, cutlery and cups were
beyond cleaning
so I threw them all out and replaced them.
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Flat to the Hospital Social Worker and the Occupational Therapist, who were pleased with
the results, but I don't think they would like to see him return there too soon, to a Flat with no
working boiler, hence no hot water or heating, and they see the staircase as a danger hotspot
where he could easily have another fall.
And I was quite shocked when the Social Worker told me that there was a huge rent debt
owed of several thousand Pounds as well as an unpaid Landline phone bill.
I did pay a £1,300 gas bill last week for fear of the gas getting cut off. But it's clear that he's
not getting on top of things regarding all the Utility Bills.
And so after 4 weeks of taking up an NHS Hospital bed, they're looking at moving him to
a holding place. So I asked where. They said possibly an NHS Nursing Home. I'd hate to be the
one to tell him this. He just wants to be back in his familiar home environment where I can
visit him each day but the Social Worker claims that I need to be with him 24 hrs a day, either
at his place or my place if he's to go back into the community.
I've nagged the Social Services to get his Boiler working again through the Local Council,
but they've done nothing so far. It's almost as if they're using the broken boiler as
ammunition for him not to move back into his home. And I even told his Medical Team
in a staff meeting last week that 4 weeks ago before his fall he was fine in getting
about, making cups of tea and boiling up veggy dinners which they claim he isn't able
to do now.
Since he underwent General Anesthesia and has been administered various drugs daily
for his hip surgery, all I'm seeing is a definite decline in his mental health.
But when I visit him he perks up and is as happy as a bunny.
my potted Christmas tree which has been sitting outside the front of the house all year.
