You couldn't make it up.
Posted 28-11-07 at 20:20 by Magpi 47
The phone went at five past three this morning......the ringing hauled me out of my pit of sleep......just as I swung my leg out of bed it stopped.
I sat there on the side of the bed in the dark asking myself if I should go downstairs and check who it was....full knowing that I could not ignore it.
I trundled downstairs hoping that it wasn't some drunk ringing for a taxi.....and had punched in the wrong digit......then thinking of the alternatives I hoped it had been a drunk, with sausages for fingers.
I picked up the handset and scrolled through the options......not an easy task when you are trying to do this without the aid of the glasses that are necessary to read the tiny letters.
I got hubby's spare readers out of the drawer and started again......yes, the number was one I recognised.....though thankfully not Ma's( that sounds uncharitable I know).
It was the number of Norman and Emily....an old couple that hubby shops for. He is 94, and she is 96.....both of them very frail.
Emily is crippled with arthritis and cannot move about without her wheel chair.
I pushed the redial button dreading the worst......please Lord, not a Wednesday like last week......I silently wished.
Norman picked up the phone 'Hello, is that Margaret?'
'Yes, Norman.......'
'Oh, I wanted David....'
'Well, he is asleep in bed, it is only ten past three in the morning' I said.
'Well, it's like this, Emily has fallen out of bed and I can't get her up off the floor'
'OK Norman we are on our way'
Jesus, Mary and Joseph....I said to myself as I went upstairs to the snoring form of the other half....how do we get into situations like this? I hope there is someone up there who is keeping a tally of all this.
I woke himself, and he looked like he didn't know if he was on this earth, or fullers earth.
I told him to put some joggers on and I would tell him the story as he got himself dressed.
There were some muttered, under the breath expletives being used. It is never good to have to wake a sleeping bear.
But to give him his due we got the car out and made our way over to Oswaldtwistle.
You can't ignore a cry for help.
The light was on in their bungalow, and Norman came to the door and let us in.
We went into the bedroom and there was Emily on the floor......she reminded me of a baby bird that has fallen out of a tree.......all gawky and fragile.
Her eyes were closed and I looked at hubby's face and I could see in an instant what he was thinking....deja vu...... this is a rerun of last Wednesday....he blanched.
I bent down and grasped Emily by the shoulder and gave her a gentle shake....her eyes flew open and she started to cry......'I've fallen out of bed'
'Yes, Emily we can see that.....are you hurting anywhere?' I asked as I gently felt down her limbs to see if there was any deformity or swelling.......she said that her back hurt,and she was cold, but i think it was just lying on the hard floor...in a draught with only a light shawl covering her.
Hubby and I lifted her back onto the bed. We made her as comfortable as we could.....gave her a cup of tea and a hot water bottle to warm her up a bit.
The bedding was very thin......a summer weight throw and one of those quilted brentford nylons bedspreads(that looks nearly as old as me....but not in as good a condition)...really not suitable for a winter night and for someone who has not an ounce of fat on her as insulation.
This couple pay for carers to go in and put the old lady to bed in the evening, and get her up in the morning.....wouldn't you think that they would ask for some better winter bedding to be put on the bed? Or maybe they aren't allowed for some mad PC reason.
The nearest relatives of this old couple are in Manchester.....they don't visit very often and if the couple had phoned the relatives then the old lady could have had serious hypothermia by the time they arrived to sort them out.
It was after 4 am when we left them this morning......when we got back home I went to bed but I couldn't sleep......I kept turning over in my mind how pitiful an exisence it must be, to get to that age and live like that....and to have to rely on the good nature of others to help out in a crisis.
Please God don't let me end up like this.
The only reason we know this couple is because Norman was in the same ward as my dad......that was 16years ago......we gave Emily a lift to and from the hospital every day, so that she wouldn't get cold and wet waiting for buses....my hubby could see that they were struggling with shopping and some of the heavy stuff in the house and offered to help out....and that's what we have been doing ever since.
They aren't the easiest couple to help, they are often grumpy and cantankerous, which makes it seem like our efforts are not valued, and in the past we did once try to distance ourselves from them, thinking that perhaps some other agency would take up the slack......but it never happened, and they were just left to struggle....so we take the rough side of their tongue sometimes and think that perhaps when we get to their age(if we ever do) perhaps we will be the same.
I hope someone will be as patient with us.
You couldn't make it up could you?
I sat there on the side of the bed in the dark asking myself if I should go downstairs and check who it was....full knowing that I could not ignore it.
I trundled downstairs hoping that it wasn't some drunk ringing for a taxi.....and had punched in the wrong digit......then thinking of the alternatives I hoped it had been a drunk, with sausages for fingers.
I picked up the handset and scrolled through the options......not an easy task when you are trying to do this without the aid of the glasses that are necessary to read the tiny letters.
I got hubby's spare readers out of the drawer and started again......yes, the number was one I recognised.....though thankfully not Ma's( that sounds uncharitable I know).
It was the number of Norman and Emily....an old couple that hubby shops for. He is 94, and she is 96.....both of them very frail.
Emily is crippled with arthritis and cannot move about without her wheel chair.
I pushed the redial button dreading the worst......please Lord, not a Wednesday like last week......I silently wished.
Norman picked up the phone 'Hello, is that Margaret?'
'Yes, Norman.......'
'Oh, I wanted David....'
'Well, he is asleep in bed, it is only ten past three in the morning' I said.
'Well, it's like this, Emily has fallen out of bed and I can't get her up off the floor'
'OK Norman we are on our way'
Jesus, Mary and Joseph....I said to myself as I went upstairs to the snoring form of the other half....how do we get into situations like this? I hope there is someone up there who is keeping a tally of all this.
I woke himself, and he looked like he didn't know if he was on this earth, or fullers earth.
I told him to put some joggers on and I would tell him the story as he got himself dressed.
There were some muttered, under the breath expletives being used. It is never good to have to wake a sleeping bear.
But to give him his due we got the car out and made our way over to Oswaldtwistle.
You can't ignore a cry for help.
The light was on in their bungalow, and Norman came to the door and let us in.
We went into the bedroom and there was Emily on the floor......she reminded me of a baby bird that has fallen out of a tree.......all gawky and fragile.
Her eyes were closed and I looked at hubby's face and I could see in an instant what he was thinking....deja vu...... this is a rerun of last Wednesday....he blanched.
I bent down and grasped Emily by the shoulder and gave her a gentle shake....her eyes flew open and she started to cry......'I've fallen out of bed'
'Yes, Emily we can see that.....are you hurting anywhere?' I asked as I gently felt down her limbs to see if there was any deformity or swelling.......she said that her back hurt,and she was cold, but i think it was just lying on the hard floor...in a draught with only a light shawl covering her.
Hubby and I lifted her back onto the bed. We made her as comfortable as we could.....gave her a cup of tea and a hot water bottle to warm her up a bit.
The bedding was very thin......a summer weight throw and one of those quilted brentford nylons bedspreads(that looks nearly as old as me....but not in as good a condition)...really not suitable for a winter night and for someone who has not an ounce of fat on her as insulation.
This couple pay for carers to go in and put the old lady to bed in the evening, and get her up in the morning.....wouldn't you think that they would ask for some better winter bedding to be put on the bed? Or maybe they aren't allowed for some mad PC reason.
The nearest relatives of this old couple are in Manchester.....they don't visit very often and if the couple had phoned the relatives then the old lady could have had serious hypothermia by the time they arrived to sort them out.
It was after 4 am when we left them this morning......when we got back home I went to bed but I couldn't sleep......I kept turning over in my mind how pitiful an exisence it must be, to get to that age and live like that....and to have to rely on the good nature of others to help out in a crisis.
Please God don't let me end up like this.
The only reason we know this couple is because Norman was in the same ward as my dad......that was 16years ago......we gave Emily a lift to and from the hospital every day, so that she wouldn't get cold and wet waiting for buses....my hubby could see that they were struggling with shopping and some of the heavy stuff in the house and offered to help out....and that's what we have been doing ever since.
They aren't the easiest couple to help, they are often grumpy and cantankerous, which makes it seem like our efforts are not valued, and in the past we did once try to distance ourselves from them, thinking that perhaps some other agency would take up the slack......but it never happened, and they were just left to struggle....so we take the rough side of their tongue sometimes and think that perhaps when we get to their age(if we ever do) perhaps we will be the same.
I hope someone will be as patient with us.
You couldn't make it up could you?
Total Comments 5
Comments
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What would these people do without you and your hubby? The Golden Gates should be flung wide with a red carpet ready when your time comes.
Your story puts me in mind of a couple two doors down from my sister. They have recently been in sheltered accomodation for a short time but are now back in their own home. I am all for people staying in their own homes but not when they are at risk as your couple are and my sisters neighbours also.
My sis got a phone call last week at some unearthly hour and a similar thing had happened to the man in this instance. They had to go in and lift him. I really don't think things like this should be happening!!!Posted 28-11-07 at 20:39 by bernie
- Bernie, perhaps I am making it look like we are a couple of saints......which we aren't of course......but we can't see these people stuck......maybe we are a couple of suckers, or mugs.....but perhaps we are just two people who live the christian principle(though we don't go to church).Posted 28-11-07 at 20:51 by Magpi 47
- Bet there aren't many who get up at that time to go to someones aid. And no you aren't making yourselves look like saints just two very thoughtful human beings. Still think getting into Heaven(if there is one) should be a doodle for you two.Posted 28-11-07 at 21:01 by bernie
- Thanks Bernie.:)Posted 28-11-07 at 21:06 by Magpi 47
- I am a very new member and this morning I thought I'd have a look on the site. I scrolled down and found that for some reason I'd been banned from something called a 'shoutbox'. the only thing I've written about is the closure of A&E at Burnley General. So it must be something I said about that.Posted 23-07-08 at 11:28 by pinkann
