In the last couple of days, a few very unfortunate things have happened (this is since Team Win of the pub quiz on Wednesday night). Consequently I am in the process of starting a campaign or at the very least trying to find a campaign that I feel an affinity with relating to the cause that has got my goat = My Nan, she is 91.
What has happened?
Quite simply my dear old Nan's nursing home is shutting down. We found out thanks to The Great British postal system on Thursday, a whole week after the letter was sent. It is shutting down due to financial reasons. I blame the following people - Cameron, Clegg, The Bank of England, My Local Authority et al.
My Rhino
A long with a few honoured friends another love of my life is probably my Nan. I am not ashamed to admit this. She is great. A total living legend. Everyone who knows my Nan can not help but love her. She is amazing for the following reasons;
- She never really learnt to cook anything but rock cakes, and these were always a truly teeth splitting exercise;
- She will respond to all her nicknames with a wink and a giggle; Rhino, Dinosaur, Noonle, Moan, Gorgeous, Sexbomb, Cheekytots, Rachel/Bruno (names given to her by Granddad in preference of her actual name - he did not like it, but married her TWICE in spite of this, they divorced once you see);
- She worked until she was in her 80s. I REPEAT SHE WORKED UNTIL SHE WAS IN HER 80s;
- She would cycle everywhere until her mid 70s when a little unwelcome guest called cancer decided to host itself in her stomach. She won, it got evicted, but she stopped cycling;
- She would in her 80s come and visit me at university. She would down pints of guiness, wacth the rugby and the grand prix with my housemates, come to the union, have a dance and do a few shots of aftershock with us. She could out drink us. The wild thing;
- She has since the age of about 13 had a pint of guiness everyday, without fail;
- Again since the age of 13 she has used vinegar for everything - to wash her hair, brush her teeth, moisturise, clean the house, feed her family, clean wounds everything;
- Until about 86 she would still dance on tables at family events;
- She still thinks there is someone "mug enough" to marry and impregnate me.
Visiting Time: The Pimp Daddy Game
When I go and see my Nan my heart always sinks a little bit. She has dementia, so is not as "on it and as all over it" as she once was. But we always have a laugh. Generally we take her into a family room and then like chavs on a bus play out some 'choons for her on our iphones/pods. I got caught the other day singing outrageously and dancing provocatively towards her with tinsel as a feather boaesque prop whilst my parents were having some sort of snore of a conversation in the corner (they are divorced), before they realised the floor show had started.
Dad rolls his eyes and sighs "Please explain to me what our 30 something year old daughter is doing to Nan right now?"
Mum leans forwards pats him on the knees and laughs "Oh, H, it is fine. Mum likes this game, they call it the Pimp Daddy Game,because they think it sounds funny, ruddy idiots, you are lucky your other two kids aren't here with the walking stick and hat, that is when it can get out of control!".
Dad takes a sip of his over brewed tea and splutters "Pimp Daddy Game? What the hell is wrong with you lot? She is 91 show some respect."
I continue to gyrate around the room with the tinsel whilst playing "Crazy in Love" out of my ipod. Nan loves that track, it reminds her of my 21st birthday. She made some great shapes that day. She is repeating/squealing the lyrics "Uh oh uh oh uh oh" and clapping off beat.
"Anyway H, she is 29 and she is 91, they are both adults and if they want to play this stupid game, then I can't stop them. You know what they are like."
Dad then drops his tea on the floor. Nan points and laughs at him. Mum stands up and starts dancing with me. Nan is attempting to slap her thigh like a panto character in excitement. Dad looks upset.I am not sure if he is disturbed or feeling left out...
And then, out of no where, he leaps out of his chair and starts shaking his thing like it is 1977 and D.I.S.C.O is back in the room.
We continue in this dance frenzy for about 6-7 minutes, when my mum suddenly sits down and starts acting all normally. Me and dad continue. I then sit down. Dad is then funking out all over the room by himself for about 30 seconds when he realises why me and mum have sat down. The care home staff are in the doorway laughing their heads off with a few other residents.
I remember thinking to myself at that moment, this is not the first time I have been caught dancing like a dick for my nan in here and it won't be the last. The thing is, after getting that letter, it probably is.
What now?
Since that visit and the letterofdoom I have been writing to all manner of people and visiting different care homes. It seems like this could be about to get complicated. They want to shove her to the back of the list and reassess her finances, there was no mention of reassessing her health. Just how much money she has in her pension pot. Fuck that, the woman has health needs, which unfortunately as a family we are not able to support her with adequately otherwise she would still be with us.
I have also been doing a lot of research about the care home crisis in this country. I feel a bit embarrassed and ashamed that I had not realised how bad it was. Normally, as I was teaching I was always primarily concerned with resources and funding at work, not anything to do with my family. Thankfully free time has allowed a change of course.
I am truly disgusted at how this whole situation has been handled by the home and everyone connected with it. It is really very upsetting. She is 91. She worked until her 80s. She is a totally lovely little old lady. And just before Christmas they are telling her to leave her home of two and a half years. It makes me so sad. It is so cold.
I really hope that I can do something beyond dancing around the care home to make this situation better for my nan and other people in a similar situation. IT IS UNACCEPTABLE.
The following articles/discussions have proved a good basis for me to get a better grip of what the situation in the country is, have a read:
In other news...
I am still of course still learning to rap (nan loved my reworked version of "Apple Bottom Jeans") and applying for jobs.
Something truly moving and brilliant came into my life when I read this post.
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