Weirdly, though, the worst thing to me is being played for a mug.

It's the Judgement of Solomon enacted every day in our own homes. Without Solomon. Just us, our carees and "authorities".

As usual, this site is proving to be an invaluable source of information and support. Out here in the world there are people who have derived direct benefit from the thoughts and ideas of fellow travellers. There have been many times I'm so stressed and upset I hardly know where to turn. Don't get d...

Thank you, bowling bun. Even if I found a 24 hour nursing service for Mum at home I still couldn't fix up a private gerontologist for weekly visits/advice, could I? Or daily physio and all the necessary kit etc. I'm looking into it but it seems unfeasible. The local private hospital doesn't do round...

If it wasn't for this forum I would have remained in almost complete ignorance of this funding/healthcare maze. Having read most of the bumph I realise that my mother is, in fact, very lucky indeed to be in the community hospital surrounded by qualified staff round the clock and seen by a consultant...

It is so hard supporting someone with mood problems. Prednisolone causes classic hypomania in me, I feel so wonderful yet irritable and would not take kindly to anyone trying to point out difficulties because I'm up there in the stratosphere, flying on energy I don't genuinely have. Keeping a diary ...

I sometimes have to take prednisolone when asthma is bad. It makes me very hungry all the time, high as a kite (LOTS of housework gets done) and unable to sleep. I'm restless, fidgety, talk too much and too fast and am generally manic - everything seems possible and I go round solving otherwise intr...

Ha! Multiple choice exam rather than an essay I hope.
It's a lot to take in. Almost as though the whole system is designed to wear people down.

Thank you, thank you one and all. As ever this forum is proving to be a real lifeline. Yes, Quebec relatives where MIL has resided for many years. My French still hopeless despite trying hard! As far as I know MIL is in reasonably good health but v good point about "fitness to fly", not something I'...

She has dual citizenship. British and Canadian. I understood that the rules are different for ex-pats (she lived here for 40 odd years) if they intend to settle in the UK permanently again.

Thanks for the replies. I couldn't get the social care links to work but shall try googling this.

My own mother is still in community hospital and I visit her most days (54miles) and take care of bungalow, bills etc in her absence. Now my Canadian brothers-in-law have hatched a plan to bring my 89-year-old mother-in-law to the UK and leave her with us, supposedly for "4 months" but I suspect tha...