Week of 7th April, 2003

Last Week

Monday, 7th April

To Swansea, today - after putting some petrol in Jane's car. It's amazing how fast the money disappears these days.

The only evidence of the war that I've seen (other than massive television coverage) has been a steep rise in the price of petrol. In London, the average price is now about 79 pence (UKP0.79) per litre - before the fight started it was about 75 pence. I see no prospect of that price dropping again any time soon. Indeed, with the upcoming budget, I feel it likely that Gordon Brown will put an even bigger tap into the motorists' collective wallet. I also envisage rises in the duty on alcohol and cigarettes - all these are too easy for a Chancellor of the Exchequer to hit, if he needs revenue, as Brown does. And most of that revenue will be wasted on bureaucracy, I make no doubt.

After the trip down - easy but long, just under 4 hours door-to-door - Mum seems a little better physically. But her memory is worse, and she still nods off frequently.

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Tuesday, 8th April

I visited the local Council offices today, to check with Social Services about Mum's entitlement to Council help. And it looks like she can get the Meals-on-Wheels service, which delivers a hot meal 3 times a week to her door. There is also a Homecare service, where someone would visit daily to assist as required. A social worker will visit tomorrow afternoon to assess the case.

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Wednesday, 9th April

We've had the social worker visit, and the basics of the arrangements for the immediate future are worked out. Mum will get Meals-on-Wheels 3 times a week - that's a hot meal delivered to the door, and the delivery people hand it to the recipient, so that a daily check is made on the health of the client - and an hour's homecare attendance on two of the other days. If the meals are Monday, Wednesday and Friday (which is not certain) the homecare visits will be Tuesday and Saturday - they will be a private agency, council homecare service is on about a 4 month waiting list. That will sort out laundry, washing up, shopping runs, and other similar things. Also there will be the personal visits, which will allow an eye to be kept on Mum's health - which will be a load off my mind. Being at least 4 hours away in an emergency makes me nervous.

Additionally, I chased up the medical arrangements made last week. Mum's doctor has arranged for a health assessment to be made at home, which short-circuits a 4 to 6 week waiting list, and may provide insight into the rapid deterioration we've noticed in Mum's condition. Hopefully that will be before I go back to London - the doctor saw my point about me being there. I also tracked down her prescription - she'd forgotten to get the script filled at the resident pharmacy while she was at the doctor's. The script was still in her handbag!

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Thursday, 10th April

Well, the Budget wasn't as painful as I expected it to be. Gordon Brown opened the purse strings, big style, to allow extra spending on Health and Education, while throwing Prudence to the winds and allowing public borrowing to rise dramatically. He expects economic growth to pay for this. The general concensus among financial pundits is that he's too optimistic. I hope the Chancellor is right, and the pundits are wrong. If not, the consequences will be painful.

In the matter of pain, a penny on a pint of beer, 4 pence on a bottle of wine, extra on cigarettes, 1.28 pence on a litre of petrol (this last deferred to the autumn) and UKP5 on Vehicle Excise Duty. Predictably, the retailing trade suggested that the main gains will be made by smugglers of booze and cigarettes (not surprising since the price of these is double that prevailing on the other side of the English Channel) For a wonder, spirits were left untouched. But then, Gordon Brown is a Scot, and likes a wee dram.

Arrangements for Mum's care are progressing satisfactorily, albeit slowly. I await 'phone calls.

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Friday, 11th April

On the care front, we now have Meals On Wheels sorted for Mum. This will provide a hot meal, delivered to the home (hence the "on wheels") twice a week. I'd have preferred three times, but they don't do three deliveries a week in this area. I'm in process of setting up an arrangement with a Council-recommended care agency for 3 visits a week, and Mum's regular cleaner has been asked if she will do a laundry run as well as the cleaning when she attends each week. Must find the instructions for the washing machine.

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Saturday, 12th April

The care agency will start after Easter, and Mum's cleaner will do an extra hour for a laundry run when she comes each week. So that's sorted.

The doctor came yesterday, to assess Mum's condition, and he thinks something can be done. Mum will attend a local Day Hospital, where further tests will be made. Hopefully, some improvement will be possible, because she can't go on like this.

We went out today, down to the village for lunch, and to meet the 'girls'. All went well, and then Mum had her hair done - amazing how much better she looks with her hair tidied up. While the hairdo was happening, I went food shopping. Some of the things I bought are not to Mum's taste, but they'll get used - I have to eat, too!. A second shop, before I go home, is indicated - the freezer isn't big enough.

It has been decided that I will stay until next Thursday, to check the arrangements so far made. All should be well, but you never know.

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Sunday, 13th April

In order to be able to stay here until Thursday, I need to do a laundry run, so that I've got clean clothes. Mum's washing machine is here, and claimed to work. We'll see.

Later: It does - but it's remarkably slow to fill and drain. I suspect it's been pushed too far back under the worksurface and has kinked the hoses. I'll have to pull it out a few inches, and hope it works better. It's practically useless at the moment.

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