Shark infested waters

I believe I have successfully navigated the shark-infested waters of care home financing.  What an ordeal!  First one benefit was stopped without notice; then another.  First one amount was charged for the care home, then another.  Then one benefit suddenly became payable again, but another one had to be re-applied for.

Aaaarrrrggghhhh!!

Throughout this process I have been expected to make decisions.  I made decisions based on the criteria I had at the time, but no one told me that they would change... and then change again... and then change again.  In the end I think it will be alright and we will be able to afford to keep mum in the home that she chose, but it has been most stressful and worrying.  Fortunately she has no idea of the extra grey hairs I have acquired over the last three or four months.  I am still waiting for one reply about a benefit and another official document, but then I will finally know our actual financial situation.

Mum has settled in well and is mostly content.  I am the person that she complains to so I have learned to take this with a pinch of salt.  She is usually pretty happy when I visit and only has the occasional grumbly day.  She gets on well with the staff and has a lady that she always sits by who seems fond of her.  She is eating well and seems stronger.  I took her out in the sunshine a few days ago.  We walked along by the river and the cyclepath and got the wheelchair rather muddy, but the staff thought this most amusing and were not at all upset about the state of the chair.  They were happy that mum had had a nice trip out.  This is a refreshing and balanced response and reflects the pleasant, friendly atmosphere of Cathedral View.

The image accompanying this post is of a plate that my mother painted some years ago.