Alice – Fostering Blog
Thursday.
There are many weeks when you feel like you are being torn between many things – and not just between your foster child and your own children (this does happen on many occasion!!), but also to other commitments in your life. Charlie and I hold the Power of Attorney for my Grandmother. She was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease about seven years ago. She has lived in a residential care home for the last six years, and mainly things keep ticking along and we don’t have too many issues. I aim to visit her twice a week, but sometimes it is difficult to fit in visits in between all the other appointments and meetings I have for Alice. I hate not seeing her, even though I know she will have no recollection of me ever visiting her. The time I have with her at the time is special – and that’s why I go.
It doesn’t matter that she doesn’t remember that I’ve been afterwards – I know!! I also want to teach our children about the importance of looking after the older generations – and not just because it could be me one day that needs this level of care! Although I do wonder sometimes – whether it will indeed be me one day. Of course, it is best not to dwell too much on these thoughts as there is nothing we can do to stop the ageing process!!
As I say most of the time we don’t encounter too many issues. However, today has been one of those unusual days when everything seems to be happening at the same time. It is a pretty full on day anyway with a social worker visit after school booked and a routine hospital appointment for Alice, and a quick cuppa with a friend somewhere in between. What I was not counting on was a call my grandmothers care home at 5 O’clock this morning asking me if I could go to the hospital and accompany her while the night staff from the care home left for the night. I had no idea that she had even been admitted to hospital – so it came as a bit of a shock. Turns out she had a fall yesterday evening – but the evening staff had forgotten to inform me.
I decided to wait until a more reasonable hour to make a decision of whether to head over to the hospital. Just as well I waited as thirty minutes later I received another call to say she had been discharged and was awaiting transport back to the care home. Sometimes, it is good not to make snap decision – and just wait a little to see how things play out. Hopefully the rest of the day will be a little less eventful!
A Less Ordinary Fostering Family Blog.
