The gossips

My Mum bought me this about 30 years ago, she knew I liked it, it's actually a whistle, there's a hole in the side and their mouths all make a different note when you blow it. It's from South America somewhere, I forget where now.
I visited her this morning, everything is getting harder for her, I met the speech, language and swallowing experts there, Natalie and Ali, they've devised a series of laminated charts for Mum to use to help her communicate, they has pictures of various things she can point to such as can you draw my curtains, can you put my cardigan round my shoulders, I need the toilet et cetera, there is also an alphabet board which also says yes and no on it.
They have a cyst that her swallowing is getting worse and I have asked homan to give her a fork Mashable diet.
It is not taking her so long to eat each meal, 90 minutes or more, whilst it's important for her to be independent I think it's got to the point now where she really does need more help and preferably someone to actually feed her.
She has lost 22 kg since she's been there and now weighs only six stone, this is to be expected as part of her illness but we are all working hard to try and get more calories into her, she has some high protein drinks prescribed by the doctor and is having extra butter and cream Etc in her food.
The constant battle is that there is such a high turnover of staff and so many agency staff many don't have English as their first language, it is so difficult to understand what mum is trying to say and I'm her daughter so I do understand. I just feel very sorry for her.
Anyway Natalie and Ali gave a training session to the main nurses which they said went really well and they feel confident that they will be able to train at the carers who do you get briefed the beginning of every session.
We then had a meeting with the care home manager, hopefully some of the latest problems will have solution is found for them and there will be an improvement…
I wrote some birthday cards for her and read her some mail, I also took her some new socks and some lightweight thermal longjohns and longsleeved tops she can wear under her clothes because she feels the cold so much.
I just hope that somebody actually puts them on her!
I visit once a week, I visited a lot more for the first year which ended last August but going forward I have had to step back and concentrate on my work and my family, I find it very sad going to the home and the whole situation is just so depressing, I felt very low when I left and I walked home through the park, when I got home I did manage to do a bit of songwriting and paperwork but it's difficult to feel cheerful really.
Spent the evening watching telly with the family, what are we going to watch now that we've finished the Santa Clarita diet?