COVID-19 Pandemic 2021 Part 10
I last wrote about the pandemic in February. Six months on the lockdown and most major restrictions have now been rescinded and life is returning to normal. COVID-19 cases are still occurring with many still requiring hospitalisation. The question of whether they’ll be another wave in Winter still remains, although the government has announced a programme of booster vaccinations. At the time of writing the United Kingdom has currently administered 91.2 million doses of the various vaccines. 43 million people are now fully vaccinated which is 64.6% of the population. The current focus is upon the 16 to 24 age group and there are currently plans and ongoing consultation to extend the vaccinations to school age children. All of which is happening against a background where the pandemic is slowly being pushed out of the news agenda. The UK government is certainly keen to move on and a substantial percentage of the public no longer wish to be constrained by COVID-19 protocols.
I last wrote about the pandemic in February. Six months on the lockdown and most major restrictions have now been rescinded and life is returning to normal. COVID-19 cases are still occurring with many still requiring hospitalisation. The question of whether they’ll be another wave in Winter still remains, although the government has announced a programme of booster vaccinations. At the time of writing the United Kingdom has currently administered 91.2 million doses of the various vaccines. 43 million people are now fully vaccinated which is 64.6% of the population. The current focus is upon the 16 to 24 age group and there are currently plans and ongoing consultation to extend the vaccinations to school age children. All of which is happening against a background where the pandemic is slowly being pushed out of the news agenda. The UK government is certainly keen to move on and a substantial percentage of the public no longer wish to be constrained by COVID-19 protocols.
I had my second vaccination (Pfizer-BioNTech) on 12th May and to date, all my immediate family are fully vaccinated. Since April there has been an ongoing schedule of restrictions being lifted. By May I was no longer having to cut my own hair and just before Summer most shops and businesses started to re-open. At present there are no longer limits on meeting up with friends, attending sporting events and other outdoor activities, pubs and restaurants are conducting business as usual and there is no longer a legal compulsion to wear face masks. The latter is now on a “recommended” basis, although the major rail networks still insist upon it. However, the majority of the public appear to have simply abandoned this safety measure and I often find that I am the only one wearing a mask in the supermarket queue. The only aspect of life that is still not running as normal is international travel. Hence the majority of people are not taking a foreign holiday this year.
I personally am still very cautious regarding relaxing measures against COVID-19. I went to a local pub this week and was pleased to see that the tables and seating were still sensibly distanced. Food and drink could be ordered at the bar but not consumed there. I was also pleased that similar arrangements were in place at the Bistro I went to tonight. COVID-19 is still a threat. A point that was brought home when a good friend and his wife both contracted the virus recently, despite being double vaccinated. The latter required hospitalisation but has thankfully now been discharged. Yet for a lot of people this pandemic is now “over”, simply because they want it to be so. Conversely, COVID-19 is still being used as a get out of jail card to excuse any delay, disruption or cancellation of a service, whether it’s justified or not. And there is still a vocal fringe group of anti-vaxxers making themselves a thorough nuisance with their disruptive demonstrations and constant misinformation.
Some more optimistic people other than me, hoped that there would be some major social change brought about from the pandemic. The focus upon essential workers raised the question as to whether their terms and conditions of employment would be improved. They haven’t and despite its hollow praise, the government only offered a 1% pay rise to nurses. Working from home has finally risen above its previous image, where it was often perceived as a means of skiving. However, although some businesses are going to continue to pursue a policy of work away from the office, the “working revolution” that many expected hasn’t happened. In fact, as the more sceptical among us predicted, the status quo has quickly returned and any opportunity for major socio political change has been lost. Such is the state of the UK and COVID-19 at present. Despite being a landmark, global event of historical importance, it’s amazing how quickly some people wish to forget.
Caring for the Elderly: Part 10
My Mother, who has had limited mobility for a decade, fell and broke her arm just before Christmas. She subsequently spent nine weeks at a specialist rehabilitation unit at our local hospital. During that time she had surgery on her arm to repair the fracture and extensive physiotherapy to try and increase her mobility. She was discharged at the beginning of February with a support package in place to facilitate her return home. Sadly, despite physiotherapy, she is immobile as the day she was admitted. Until she sees the Consultant at the Fracture Clinic and is told if her arm can bear weight, she is not allowed to do anything for herself. Hence she is currently having four home visits a day from two carers and is confined to her bedroom. The carers help her get washed, dressed and use the commode in her room. Naturally, the current situation and the inability to do anything for herself, along with the uncertainty of her long term recovery and future, is causing a great deal of anxiety not only for my Mother but the rest of the family as well. At present we have a 3 week wait before she gets to see the consultant.
My Mother, who has had limited mobility for a decade, fell and broke her arm just before Christmas. She subsequently spent nine weeks at a specialist rehabilitation unit at our local hospital. During that time she had surgery on her arm to repair the fracture and extensive physiotherapy to try and increase her mobility. She was discharged at the beginning of February with a support package in place to facilitate her return home. Sadly, despite physiotherapy, she is immobile as the day she was admitted. Until she sees the Consultant at the Fracture Clinic and is told if her arm can bear weight, she is not allowed to do anything for herself. Hence she is currently having four home visits a day from two carers and is confined to her bedroom. The carers help her get washed, dressed and use the commode in her room. Naturally, the current situation and the inability to do anything for herself, along with the uncertainty of her long term recovery and future, is causing a great deal of anxiety not only for my Mother but the rest of the family as well. At present we have a 3 week wait before she gets to see the consultant.
My Mother’s return home has inevitably caused some logistical problems. The first is managing the multiple visits by carers to the premises. My disabled Father has his own carers who tend to his needs twice a day, along with two visits from the District Nurse. My Mother now has four visits of her own. These comings and goings have been scheduled as to not conflict with my Sisters routine. She lives with my parents and has a fulltime job. Then there is the actual management of the carers themselves. Anyone who has had experience with such services will know it is somewhat of a lottery. Some are superb, some are adequate and others are barely competent and have to be micromanaged. So far the care company has broadly supplied staff who are very professional. Mainly, those coming to the house are experienced and adaptable. However, a few less experienced carers have come at the weekend and not shut doors or locked the premises properly, which is cause for concern. For the present, myself and my Sister are trying to accommodate this new daily regime during its initial stages. Sadly, I cannot be on site indefinitely and I need to have full confidence that all care duties are undertaken properly along with ensuring the house is secure.
The second issue is that although carers can assist my Mother with washing, dressing and toilet breaks, they cannot provide her with any long term companionship. In between visits, she is alone in her room without company of any immediate form of entertainment or interaction. I am concerned that there will be both physical and mental health consequences as a result of this. The local Community Physiotherapy Team has supplied an Orthopedic chair but my Mother struggles to sit up in it. After a week she is already developing lower back pain due to her posture. This could potentially worsen over the next three weeks if not addressed. Recent changes in my Mother’s medication, made while she was in hospital have also caused some problems. She is currently having difficulty swallowing which is worrying. And then there is the psychological aspect to my Mother’s condition. She spends large amounts of time, alone with only her own thoughts for company. She is bored, agitated and generally sad. Lack of mobility leads to continence issues which are distressing for a lady of her age. Having to be dependent on others to assist in washing, dressing and going to the toilet is not something that everyone is immediately comfortable with. Loss of dignity is a major contribution to her overall unhappiness.
So far we have spent a week as a family trying to find a routine that works. It has been a very fluid situation so far. There was an initial requirement for numerous practical items which we did not have. So we had to buy a hospital table, water jugs, lightweight cutlery and utensils, wet wipes, and sanitary disposal bags. My Mother’s bedroom had to be rearranged to accommodate a hospital bed, commode and Orthopedic chair. A lot of her personal items had to be cleared away to free up space for healthcare products and medication. As so many people are now coming and going from my Mother’s room, there needs to be space and clear access. I also had to remove the carpet and have easy to clean linoleum put down instead. When dealing with commodes, there is always scope for accidents and keeping the carpet simply wasn’t practical or hygienic. I managed to get my local GP to visit recently and she is concerned that being sedentary for 9 hours a day may cause additional health issues for my Mother. She also notes that simply waiting 3 weeks for an appointment while confined to a single room is not beneficial for her mental well being. Hence, I have asked Social Services to look into the possibility of short term respite care in an more suitable environment. If for whatever reason this cannot be provided, then we may bypass the Local Authority and simply self fund it. It will cost about £2,500 for 14 days.
At present everything hinges upon the Fracture Clinic appointment and whether the Consultant thinks my Mother’s left arm can now bear weight. If they say it can, then physiotherapy will resume and we can determine whether my Mother can increase her mobility. Naturally we want this to happen but we have to be realistic about the bigger picture. Irrespective of my Mother’s fall and subsequent broken arm, she has Chronic Arthritis and her mobility has always been destined to decrease regardless of other factors. There is a good chance that her current state of health is the new baseline. If she cannot rebuild the muscle in her left arm, then she cannot use her walking frame. If she cannot use her walking frame then she cannot come down stairs to the lounge and resume her normal habits. If the status quo prevails, then she faces being confined to one room and I cannot allow that to be the extent of her remaining life. Hence there may well be some tough questions to consider come the end of March. However, for the next two months it is just a waiting game. As ever, I am considering all possibilities and exploring them should they arise. It is a rather bleak undertaking for all concerned. We are hoping for the best while simultaneously planning for the worst.
Thoughts on Blogging Part 10
The end of Blaugust Festival of Blogging 2019 presents the perfect opportunity to write another entry in my “Thoughts on Blogging” series. According to the Blaugust schedule this is the “lessoned learned week”, although I’m not too keen on that specific phrase. It sounds too much like the sort of bogus, sombre platitudes that politicians trot out in the wake of some national tragedy. But such is the nature of semantics and such is the curious fashion in which my mind works. So rather than worry of the wording, I’ll just simply reflect upon the past month and consider what it means for my writing, both present and future. Because I do believe that over the last month, I have had a minor epiphany with regard to my relationship with blogging.
“Dear Sir, please send fish. Best wishes, Binky”
The end of Blaugust Festival of Blogging 2019 presents the perfect opportunity to write another entry in my “Thoughts on Blogging” series. According to the Blaugust schedule this is the “lessoned learned week”, although I’m not too keen on that specific phrase. It sounds too much like the sort of bogus, sombre platitudes that politicians trot out in the wake of some national tragedy. But such is the nature of semantics and such is the curious fashion in which my mind works. So rather than worry of the wording, I’ll just simply reflect upon the past month and consider what it means for my writing, both present and future. Because I do believe that over the last month, I have had a minor epiphany with regard to my relationship with blogging.
A month and half ago, I was feeling unmotivated and not particularly disposed towards writing on a regular basis. Yes, I have had demands on my time and a degree of stress brought about by real world issues. But that’s life. There’s always something going down. And such negative mindsets often end up becoming self-fulfilling prophecy. However, along comes Blaugust offering a shot in the arm (or a kick in the butt), as it always does. I find that groups are better at fostering a sense of enthusiasm and momentum for these sorts of activities. So I got busy writing. I composed a few posts that offered advice in the hope that my experience may be of use to others. I also began writing about the things I enjoy again. Only this time it was mainly due to passion, rather than a sense of obligation. I stayed the course and felt good doing it.
“Good for you”…
Blaugust has confirmed a few suspicions I’ve harboured about my own style of writing. I don’t do brevity. If a point is complex then take as much time necessary to explain it properly. Write what you believe to be right, not what you think people want to hear. If you find yourself on the wrong side of a prevailing consensus, then so be it. In fact enjoy the perspective. Also, stop wasting your time waiting for that article you’ve always wanted to read, that says that thing that you passionately believe. Just go write it yourself and be done. Blaugust has also once again proven that I work better to a plan and I need to be organised. Time can be found to do things, if you deem them important enough. I believe Scotty said something like this and who am I to contradict the greatest engineer in fiction?
“Bullshit, Mr Han Man”
So what next? Well I intend to keep writing. Regularly. I see no reason why I can’t continue as I have throughout August. There’s always a film to review or an article over on Massively Overpowered that is wrong and needs to be rebutted (I jest of course. Or do I?). I’m also going to dust off my notes and get back on track with writing my book. The one that is planned, researched and just needs writing. And I believe that a podcast is due. So I’m going to send out emails invites to pressgang some guests and set a recording date. Life is too short and I’m getting old and need to stop being excessively diplomatic and accommodating to other people. To paraphrase a quote from Enter the Dragon “we forge ourselves in the fire of our will”. So unless I hear cries of “Bullshit, Mr Han Man”, I’m just going to crack on and do my thing. Which is write (with emotional content).
