A Big Change

Last week, Dad came home from the hospice for the afternoon. We were going to see how far his condition has deteriorated to assess our next move. As soon as Dad got out of the car, he fell over.

A neighbour and I carried Dad inside, and luckily there were no more incidents that afternoon, but rather than risk anything, Dad thought it best that he take an ambulance back to the hospice. This all sadly means that it doesn't look like Dad can live at home any more. And since the hospice is not a long term care facility, we are looking into local care homes. Apparently the NHS can fund you, but you have to go into the home that they choose. We've signed up to this, but if it's not the one that I've seen we might not go this route. A friend recommended a care home nearby, and when I went to visit I was quite impressed by the friendliness of the staff, and how capable it seems. We'll see what is recommended.

It's a new dawn now. Whatever the future brings, it's certainly not what any of us anticipated just a few short years ago.

Hospice Update

Dad is still in the hospice. He was originally supposed to be there for two weeks, although I was hoping it would be less. However, his condition has worsened, and he doesn't feel he would be able to comfortably live at home right now. From what I can gather, everything will be reassessed next week, as the hospice is really only for short term care. We'll have to take it one day at a time, because if he cannot stay there, and he has reached the point where he cannot live at home, there are no other care facilities in the area that can support someone with his needs. There's always the option of a 24 dedicated carer, but Mum and Dad do not have an extra bedroom for them to live. I don't really know how all that works. Do they tag in and out every 8 or 12 hours and then go home?