Meeting

This afternoon we had a meeting with Sur Ryder staff about the palliative care T did not receive. Or, alternatively, inadequate attention he did receive.

I was awake at silly o’clock again. And whiled away some time concentrating on the very watchable Mr Bates and the Post Office.

It is nearly a month since T died and I continue to miss him dearly. I tell him every day that I’m out there with him. Wherever he may be. His ashes are now back with the Undertaker and I will probably pick them up on Wednesday. I think we have agreed to lay him to his final rest on Lardon Chase. There, the views are stunning, and there are nearby benches for us to sit with him from time to time. We often used to walk up there in breezy sunshine and admire what lay before us. From there, you can see all the way to the water tower at Greenham.

I was slow to get up this morning. The day was quite chilly and H was reluctant to investigate the big outdoors.
Eventually, after some again matters to do with house insurance, H and I pottered along to a very quiet Beetle and Wedge. Water was well up the car park, and waves lapped at the front and side doors. The only way into the building was via the disabled exit at the rear of the building. The bar had been under water yesterday, but the area was now pumped out. Sandbags protected the doorway.
I enjoyed a coffee there, whilst eying up the cormorant on a lonely post.

This afternoon’s meeting with two doctors and a senior nurse from the Sue Ryder team was quite intense. Our point was quite firmly made about the lack of support.
During the meeting, it became quite clear that some of their communication between patient/ carer and their team is/was hopeless, leaving patients in the dark about matters discussed or whether they were discussed at all.
It was also clear their ability or processes to assess patients lack rigour. And do not take into account masked behaviours. Nor do they listen sufficiently to what relatives are saying. Their procedures also lack urgency where this is required. They will now investigate and we will have a final meeting in just over a month.

We left as snow was falling. So, we are expecting flooded ground to become skating rinks. Winter has arrived!
I returned with my daughters to the Illis. We had abandoned Frankie there, whilst at our meeting . She, poor lamb, is on her way back to London to resume the business of being an undergraduate.
F and G arrived back from their first day back at school and we had a hot drink together before going our separate ways.

I returned to enjoy the remainder of Mr Bates and the Post office. Watch this space… I’m not sure the PO will survive this.

And some of the evening passed in the usual oblivion with me reminding myself that falling asleep in the chair ( got to vary it) was not a great idea.

Thought for the Day