Taking care of the elderly

is something I do know about. I have done it. It is hard work. It requires commitment, organisation, time, patience and any number of other things.

I also know that I was one of the lucky ones. I was incredibly fortunate in that my father, my beloved "Senior Cat", was so easy to care for even when he needed so much help. He was intellectually alert to the end of his life. He was good tempered, polite and forever saying "Thank you".  

I also know I was very fortunate in having my sister, Middle Cat, there to help. She was the one who took him to medical appointments when he could still get in and out of her car. She went with him in the access cab when he could no longer go in the car. On the rare occasions she could not go with him and I went she would always check to see we had arrived there and back safely.

Being at home for so long meant that I could see the Senior Cat had proper meals, meals he liked, meals he wanted to eat. I did the best I could to provide good nutrition and I did what I could to make sure they were presented to him at set times during the day. We both knew when to expect things to happen. 

These things matter for the very elderly...and the Senior Cat was almost ninety-eight before he made the decision it was all too much for both of us. He was the one who made the decision about "going into care" and I still feel I let him down by not arguing too hard. Yes, I was tired. I had spent too long sleeping "with one ear open" like a mother of very young children. I doubt I will ever catch up on the lost sleep.

Once in the nursing home Middle Cat and I alternated days so he always had a visitor. He had other visitors too, far more than most people. We just thought of it as the right thing to do - and it was the right thing.

I am saying all that now not to say "how good of us". No, that had nothing to do with it. It was the right thing to do. It was what should have been done. It is what should happen to all older people. It doesn't.

This morning's paper has the preliminary stories to a campaign the paper says it will be running. Their campaign is called "Care Repair" and is supposedly going to deal with the "reforms" in aged care that were supposed to lead to more care and have actually (and not surprisingly) led to less. They are talking about those who are getting one shower a week at triple the previous cost. They are talking about a pack of seven "fruit smoothies" which retail for less than $20 and cost $120 when part of the package. Is this how we keep the elderly clean and provide them with the fruit they can no longer prepare for themselves? 

There are people out there making an enormous profit. They must be. I know employing people is expensive. There are all sorts of additional superannuation, insurance, leave loadings and so on to consider. Even with those things there are people making a big profit. It is why they are in the business of "providing care". The problem is  they are not providing "care" at all. They do not care. It is simply a business for them.

I wonder if I will reach the point of needing such "care". Will anyone care? It just makes me so glad I was in the position to make sure that the elderly person I loved above all others was given some care. I was not perfect, far from it, but at least I tried and Middle Cat tried. No, he was not "lucky". We just tried to give the Senior Cat what all elderly people should be given - loving care.