Di and I consoled each other after we tended my Dad yesterday and we did our chores and dropped the children off so that we could visit Dad at Addenbrookes again. Despite his first response of wanting to go home to Stanton, he was now set on Weald House as he ‘did not want to leave her or let her down’. We left him for a couple of hours for lunch as we got some flowers and things and then collected him and took him there, where Mr and Mrs Issett made Dad as welcome as they could. After I collected Debbie from Offord and Di got Della, she took the two swimming as I spent a restful evening, after feeding the fish, recovering from the trauma.
The government is freezing child benefit for the third year running at £7.25 but other benefits rise with inflation. There will, however, be increased help for the terminally ill and their carers, but payments for patients in nursing homes will not be increased in line with inflation. Plans for a nuclear processing plant at Dounreay in Caithness have been approved.
I slept reasonably and then cuddled with Diana early this morning so that we could reassure one another. Once Debbie had been taken to horse riding and I had finished the dove and pond chores, I got the car out and we loaded Daniel (for dropping off to his friend Gary’s house at Coton) and Della (for dropping off at Di’s parents place in Bar Hill) and then set off for Cambridge. We got to the hospital to see Dad in late morning and, despite us trying to find out what he really wanted, he was determined to go to Weald House with Mum as he did not want to leave her or let her down.
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I told him that he must not recrimination over the decision. I phoned Freda to let Mum know and then we left Dad to eat his lunch and went over to the Cambridge Garden Centre at Shelford to have ours and take a look around. I bought a new pair of secateurs and Di got some flowers in vases to brighten up Dad’s day at Weald House. We went back at 2pm and collected Dad with a letter of instruction, some dressings and medicines and he was all ready and clutching his hospital bag and belongings when we arrived. I took it nice and gently on the drive back to Croxton and, when we arrived, I took time getting Dad’s things together as Di went to the door and raised somebody to open it.
In the end, Mr and Mrs Issett made Dad quite welcome and spent what appeared to be an undue amount of time receiving him and his things. Mr Issett repaired a faulty bed-call device, took away a dud lightbulb and we were brought a tray of tea to drink. The room is still most spartan but is a bit better and I hope that Dad will reassure Mum enough to get home soon. We stayed a while and then left him there and came home to report the fact to Freda. I answered a few other important phone calls and then drove off to Offord to collect Debbie whilst Di got Della and then took the two swimming. I spent a restful evening, after feeding the fish, recovering from the trauma.
The news is of the government freezing child benefit for the third year running. It is frozen at £7.25 but other benefits rise with inflation. There will, however, be increased help for the terminally ill and their carers, but payments for patients in nursing homes will not be increased in line with inflation. There is been a successful planning application for a nuclear processing plant at Dounreay in Caithness.