Popping in for a shout -
If anyone else would like any caring supporting, propping up, help with anything then please give me a nudge. I may have 5 minutes. This week I have taken my mother with early dementia for a MRI scan "mother its to find your brain", up again to sort out her money muddle, empty coat pockets in the kitchen of dog poo bags (full), cook and deliver meals for her freezer "you have 10 packets of lurpack and mouldy cheese in here".
Meantime, my brother with Schizophrenia has been sleeping rough in London for 3 months and getting increasingly unwell, but by talking on the phone up to 10 times a day and nudging mental health services he has accepted a voluntary admission to a psychiatric unit. Safe for the next couple of days at least but I will need to make a visit.
Then partner with terminal cancer, we have had a parade of very gentle professionals from hospice at home and community delivering electric bath chair, bed mattress, doing a RESPECT form about treatment options and death planning. All things that point to decline and death. Keeping house going, working and trying to keep afloat.
So I'm off to put the muddy dog on the bath chair (will save my back); ring the psychiatric hospital and see if they have a spare room for me in case; and be cheery to the next professional delivering the "end of life, just in case mystery medicine box" today. So if anyone needs their car cleaning, a cake making, handkerchiefs ironing, boiler fixing - just let me know.
However, I am extremely grateful that there are services to help, support, and be alongside. I am aware that in many places and countries there is not the support in cancer, dementia and mental health that I/we have.
