12. The beginning of the end

On April 1st 2020, mum started developing COVID symptoms. The day carer called the GP surgery, but they were not able to conduct a home visit. The carer was unable to use the phone to access a video link so the GP was unable to see mum on camera. Soon after her breathing became quite heavy, and the carers noticed that her face was swelling up. They were advised by the GP to call an ambulance, but mum insisted that she was fine and that she did not need to go to hospital. However, things took a turn for the worse on April 7th.

Mum was unable to get out of bed and was too heavy for both carers to help her. She still insisted that she did not need to go to hospital. However, I took a call that she would need to go to hospital as the carers were unable to care for her any longer in this state. I could not visit her as my husband was considered vulnerable, so I called for an ambulance. The night carer told me later that she had a feeling that mum would not be returning when she left that day. Mum begged the ambulance not to take her to Whipps Cross Hospital but their remit was to take her to the nearest A/E so she had no choice.

That very evening, the A/E doctor called me to inform me that mum had tested positive for COVID. I was not surprised or shocked for that matter. The doctor also informed me that if she deteriorated, she would not be resuscitated or taken to ICU and intubated as it would be too much for her body to tolerate. I heard much later that this was the policy in existence at the time. To be honest, I’m not sure if this policy exists now or not for over 65-year-olds. Mum was moved to a ward which changed daily whilst they disinfected the existing ward. The carer had packed mum’s mobile charger but each time I called her she did not pick up the phone. I spent most of the next ten days calling up the ward to find out how she was doing, and they all said she was recovering.

On April 18th, the hospital social worker called me to inform me that mum would be released. I asked if mum was COVID negative and she informed me that no retesting was allowed by the government, so to consider her COVID positive but that she needed to be released as beds were required. I informed her that she could not return home as the night carer had COVID now and was isolating at mum’s apartment. The day carer had gone home and didn’t return. She then informed me that they had found a convalescence home in Romford and that mum would be moved there on 20th. I received a call from the convalescence home who asked me to pack a bag with mum’s things as she could be there for up to 6 weeks. The night carer packed a suitcase for mum, and I picked it up and delivered it to the nursing home along with a dossier of mum’s likes and dislikes, her knitting, pictures, colouring books and photos.

Mum was transported there in the evening around 9pm and then I received a call from a niece in India who said that she had just spoken to her on her mobile. I hung up the phone and immediately called mum who said that she thought she had been released from the hospital but was extremely tired. Her only concern was when she was going to see me. I was informed by the nursing home that I was not allowed to visit her as she was going to be in isolation for 7 days due to COVID and only after the national lockdown was lifted would I be able to visit her. I conveyed the message to mum, and she said that she would speak to me in the morning.

12. The beginning of the end