Last night, I spent about an hour searching for one of my favourite jumpers only to find it this morning draped over the edge of Meg's bed which I evidently did not search last night as it would have meant putting on the light and probably disturbing Meg's sleep. As soon as I got up this morning, I received a text from the super-reliable young male Asian team leader to the effect that there were staff shortages and he would himself would be doing Meg's morning call but he would be delayed. It turned out that he had been alerted at 4.00am that one of his co-workers needed to take his own mother to A&E which rather took him out of the reckoning for the day. Consequently, the young team leader needed to start all types of rescheduling of work commitments which he succeeded in doing but at some personal cost of the absence of sleep on the one hand.
Fortunately, as it turned this young male carer who knows Meg very well as he attend to her almost every day had detailed himself (being a 'team leader') for Meg's sit call. I raced out to do the shopping but as one does just before Christmas, I was tempted to buy some extras. Thinking about our careers' [party, I bought standard white wine (Pinot Grigio) and what seemed to be a reasonable rosé. Being Aldi, I also bought a bottle of Glühwein (mulled wine) as this always goes down well at Christmas parties. After I had got back, we got the shopping half unpacked and then Meg and I made our way through a slight drizzle down the hill. We picked up a copy of the newspaper and then made our way to the Post Office where I bought the stamps for the 42 cards I was about to post which included four destined for Spain. In view of the tremendous price hikes and as I was so far ahead of myself this year, I only bought second class stamps supplementing these with a book of first class stamps for the inevitable late card I will probably need to send. Upon enquiring whether my cards would reach their destinations in Spain in time for Christmas. I was told that the last date for guaranteed delivery is now the end of November. I expressed my disappointment and dismay to the counter staff member who took it in good part but I needed to explain that what had been two weeks beforehand has now become about four to five and the levels of service in the Post Office ere dropping enormously (since privatisation, of course). On our way home, I bought some ointment for cracked heels which I always seem to need at this time of year and could not resist a Sainsbury's 'Home' range striped mug being sold for 50p in our local Salvation Army charity shop. By the time the care workers had called around for Meg's delayed lunch time call it was way after 2.00pm and I did not fancy an extended period of cooking. So I diced up some meat and threw it into a 'quick' rice with petit pois for some green veg. This was both tasty and quick, after which I resumed doing the unpacking of the shopping from this morning that seems to be taking all day.
At least one of the care workers is taking her very young children (aged 3-4) to a 'Santa Express' which goes to the 'North Pole' (although it is only 12 minute ride from the start in Tamworth (in a country park) At the destination, you can visit the elves in their workshop, receive a present from Santa Claus himself and even help Mrs Claus prepare some cookies that are then given to the children. The whole of this trip takes about 2 hours after which the little ones are exhausted with the excitement of it all and, of course, the belief is total. Sometime this type of activity lends itself to scammers as happened a few years ago when the winter experience was a few plastic bags draped around one or two scanty bushes trying to simulate a winter landscape but when it is done 'professionally' it seems to be very well done indeed. The reviews, for what it is worth, are very favourable. Down the road, of course, we have the hugely popular (and presumably money-spinning) trip on the Santa express from Kidderminster to an intermediate station (Arley) where there is a pantomime experience and the chance to receive a visit from Santa Claus himself. My own Santa Claus simulating days are unfortunately over but I played Santa (and Meg, Mother Claus) for several years at my daughter-in-la's primary school until a hospital induced thinness on my part meant that pillows could not disguise my lack of a Santa physique and my stint came to an end.
I received a text late in the afternoon that the two care workers had been delayed and would be half an hour late for the putting to bed call this evening. When the two young care workers arrived, they looked absolutely shattered having just had another really traumatic experience with a very ill elderly client who has just come under the care of the agency and it took the two of them over an hour to clean up the mess (and this has happened every day this week) I gave them some coffee to help to revive them because they really look practically dead on their feet. Social Services and the allocated OT is of the view that only carer is required for 30 minutes but they seem to have no idea of the enormity of the task that the care workers have to face. So I give the two lads as much moral support as I can but their lot is not a happy one at the moment.
The NHS is under the most enormous pressure just before Christmas. A 'tidal wave' of flu infections has led to a 70% increase in hospital cases in England in just seven days, the NHS has said. An average of 1,861 patients with flu were in hospital every day last week - up from 1,099 in the previous week and 402 at the same time last year. Flu cases are currently highest among 5 to 14-year-olds, according to the UK Health Security Agency, but adult cases are expected to rise when schools and nurseries close. Cases of norovirus (the winter vomiting bug) and RSV (a common cause of coughs and colds, and a cause of chest infections in babies) are also on the rise. NHS England said an average of 837 beds were occupied last week by people with norovirus symptoms - up 10% on the previous week and 64% on last year. These figures look dire but on a personal level, I am relieved that my son's hospital stay was a week or so ago and not at the moment.