Mum will be 99 this year. She lived in the same bungalow in Andersons Bay in Dunedin from 1948 to July 2022.
Dad died in 1987, so she lived alone for 35 years. She coped magnificently while continuing to delight in everything about her married life. The only concessions to her independence were Meals on Wheels and once a week a woman to do the vacuum cleaning. Mum has always referred to this as doing the "luxing", named after the Electrolux, even though the model for the past decade or more has been a Mitsubishi. Mum said the woman was hopeless. Of course.
At the annual get-together with my Dunedin cousins we talk briefly about our ailments. We're all on medication of some sort. Mum is on none.
In July, she got the flu, had a fall, a neighbour saw her on the floor and phoned the police and she ended up in hospital. She was lucky, because early the following morning, the hospital declared a code black, which meant no new patients could be admitted, no matter what.
Mum underwent a clinical assessment and it was decided she could not go back home. When the woman phoned me to talk about financial arrangements, I was so confused I half expected to be declared similarly unfit for independent living.
After a week in hospital, Mum shifted into a retirement home in St Kilda. She is the most recent and oldest of 29 residents.
At first, she was confused but she adjusted and now thrives. She loves the staff, loves the food, loves everything. She is as perky and quick-witted as ever. She has taken up knitting again. She keeps saying she feels a fraud because she isn't sick.
The decision was made to sell the family home so Mum could pay her way until the state takes over and covers the costs of care. My nephew and his partner live along the road in Musselburgh and have long been Mum's amazing minders. This hasn't been too much of a burden as Mum has always valued being as self-reliant as possible.
Esta historia es de la edición November 12-18 2022 de New Zealand Listener.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición November 12-18 2022 de New Zealand Listener.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
First-world problem
Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.
Applying intelligence to AI
I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.
Nazism rears its head
Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.
Staying ahead of the game
Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?
Grasping the nettle
Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.
Hangry? Eat breakfast
People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.
Chemical reaction
Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.
Me and my guitar
Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.
Time is on my side
Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?
The kids are not alright
Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.