Day 1,056 in the Nanny June Care Home.

The One With The Dancing Queens

The staff were great today. Five of them trying to find a solution for us to visit as a family, away from from sweary residents. It was however pointed out to me that it is an EMI unit and these things happen - but as I pointed out in return, with no (three figure sum per night) private room to retreat to, it’s a bit difficult to get any privacy. My problem isn’t with the residents, I’m fully aware Nanny June can be just as sweary left to her own devices.

Typically (and understandably) sweary man was on his own in one of the lounge but thankfully deep in a post lunch nap. No Mini Morries were at risk today as I was on my own, so Nanny June and I settled into the lounge. I even got offered a coffee today.

Today, without any small children for distraction I tried doing a craft project with Nanny June; making a collage of a flower with fairy cake cases. This involved the simple task of folding each cake case over on itself to make the ‘petals’.

Nanny June made three petals.

Two and half really.

Each one was a new idea and required an explanation and reason.

I was definitely being humoured, and could not compete with a box of Turkish Delight and a slab of leftover Christmas cake.

We were told a pianist was booked for 2pm so of we shuffled on down via the lift. Dementia has robbed us of Nanny June’s pathological fear of lifts so happy days there.

Once there, Nanny June sat at the back of the room and got increasingly annoyed at the carefree dancing going on by the piano and claimed it was disgusting behaviour. In her heyday Nanny June used to go dancing on a Saturday night at the Hammersmith Palladium and has worked in more pubs than I can name. So she was more irritable than offended.

There are two residents who always make an effort to get involved with our visits now. Today was no exception and we finally made our formal introductions as the piano banged out some WWll favourites.

Gladys enquired politely if I was June’s mother. She also asked June’s age and thought June was looking great for 88... (These are testing times but I definitely thought I hadn’t aged that spectacularly, although maybe she could see my soul, which does feel about 100 years old).

Gwen gave me her full title with first, middle and last name and announced herself with jazz hands while wearing some very fancy headwear, intentionally noisy bracelets and leopard print slippers. Then carried on dancing. She won my heart right there in that moment.

Gladys looked around at the man playing the piano, the four audience members; a man in a wheelchair, a care assistant, the scattered number of disinterested residents and Gwen, then dryly observed that “this isn’t much of concert.” Harsh but true.

Since the lovely One To Watch Renee passed away last year - as of today *Gladys and *Gwen are definitely my new favourite residents.

*Not their real names 🙂