The fine line between stubborn and stupid

So, adding to last year’s stress was my mum and two specific things…

The stair lift that she claimed wasn’t needed even though she was basically going up on all fours and put her hands on my dad’s shoulders to come down AND
Her inability to hear

The stair lift finally went into their house in July after I flipped in the hospital after my dad got his diagnosis.  I said she could no longer use him to come downstairs, she said they should wait and see how his treatment went and in the middle of the coffee shop I totally lost it pointing out I could cope with her being stubborn but she was now well into stupid (there may have been a few expletives included).

She uses the stairlift all the time and admits she was wrong her life is better.

Then there was her inability to hear…I found out she had hearing aids but didn’t like them so she didn’t use them (3 years apparently).  She had a hearing test which was abandoned – impacted wax.  It was treated – she had a hearing test which was abandoned – impacted wax.  It was treated she had a third test – abandoned … impacted wax.

Finally today she went private and we have an appointment for next week to “suck it out” – nice friendly audiologist – hearing test when he is satisfied the problem has gone (another treatment maybe required).

The point of this rant though is how many people are suffering in the UK because although the NHS will do you a free hearing test they abandon you if you need a bit of treatment to help them do the test.  Luckily my mum can afford the £50 a time (ranting daughter would have paid) but studies show there is a link between dementia and hearing loss maybe because it restricts socialisation.

Anyway after making the appointment we had coffee and cake and I’ll be there next week to hear what he tells her.

#2020_3 We gave up being stubborn