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[w3526602]

Hi,

Current situation is ... Barbara is at home, but confined to the "hospital" bed (very posh?) provided especially for the occasion. Four young ladies visit four times every day, to minister to her "needs". One of them accompanied me into the shower yesterday, set about me with a soapy sponge. Probably something to do with my arthritic knees. (I haven't been naked in public since my square-bashing days ... thrown out the far end of the billet, frantic dash for the front end ... overtaken by a passing car, and a peal of girlish laughter. Un-sun-tanned area caught in the headlamps. Rite of Passage.) Whatever, one had to grin and bare it.

They have provided her with a NEW wide hospital bed, which she is not allowed (or able) to leave.

Nobody has actually said what is wrong with Barbara. We do not know how permanent her "enhanced" disablement will be. She is not allowed to move, wedged in with pillows. I've asked for a posh bed too, to make a 60 inch double. they say I will have to buy my own.

We believe she will to claim on her Accident Insurance (a useful daily sum), but there was only seven days between her fall, and her 80th birthday, when the policy expired. Do we have any insurance experts who can comment on whether or not, payments for an ongoing condition should continue beyond her birthday?

Thanks for your interest.

602

PS, I'm sure that an emailed "thumbs up" would boost her morale ... [email protected]

[w3526602]

Hi

I have started to investigate our Accident Insurance Policy, taken out about 20 years ago. One claim to cover drilling a hole in my skull. (Subjural Haematoma)

Checking the claims procedure now, it seems there are a lot more hoops to jump through. For starters, they want certificates from two doctors (normally required when somebody is to be cremated) followed by a lot of bean-counting.

Check out

I have in my mind that "compensation" is about £150 for each night spent in hospital, but it's been many years and several house moves since we last laid eyes on the policy ... Barbara had the policy number squirrelled away in her diaries. As the policy expired on her 80th  birthday (Why not MY 80th?) and she was admitted only a few days before her birthday, it feels like we are on "a hiding to nothing"  I anticipate that we will be winding our necks in.

Barbara is still confined to her new hospital bed, and is still being visited four times daily by a team of Care Workers, who change her bedding, blanket bath, cook a meal for both of us, make coffee, and depart ... all in a blur.. I don't get a chance to talk to them, but Barbara says they have declared that I need care too, and have requested ICA on my behalf.

I've learned to shower before the Dragon Ladies arrive, else they are in there with me, sponging my back.

I asked about me having a hospital bed too, to make a 6ft double. £2.000 was mentioned. Yeah, I'd be happy with that, and Barbara hasn't frowned ... yet.  I'm still sleeping on half a double Adjustamatic, while Barbara's half is in the study. It's future is uncertain as the study is too small for a double.

I suspect that the hospital bed can be raised /lowered at the touch of a button, to make it easier for Wilkie to jump up and join us.

602

[AlexB]

Sounds as if you are going through the mill a bit - both of you

You have our sympathies

Alex