Rhododendron

This rhododendron is blossoming in my mother’s garden, blipped just after a short rain shower.

I went to my mother’s house for lunch, coffee, and a chat with my mum and her new live-in carer. 

My mother had called me several times this week, to tell me she wasn’t feeling well looked after. But of course her dementia means that she could never recall and tell me what had happened, exactly.

Slowly, I am getting an idea of the problem. The new woman has only worked a few years as a carer, and from the way she expects my mum to remember things, she doesn’t seem to have experience with dementia patients - though the CV from her agency said something else. 

The CV also states that she’s a vegetarian (like my mum) and loves to cook meals with lots of veggies. That doesn’t seem to be correct as well, since she bought sausages and pork when she went shopping, but no vegetables. Today she served my mother a very thin slice of halloumi for lunch, accompanied by a tiny side salad and a spoonful of bland millet (offering her a bottle of soy sauce for seasoning). My mother is a good eater, and it simply wasn’t enough - not to mention the very odd combination.

There are other shortcomings as well, all telling me that I have been lied to, most likely by the agency, and not for the first time. 

I am now thinking about consequences. There is no rush, but also no need to let this go on any longer than necessary.