Moving a parent - part II

The day arrived and Grant, Clifford and I were all at MIL's new unit at 6.45 am. Rina went straight to Pam's flat to start taking down the curtains. While the men worked on the cable connections for the TV, I walked to Pam's flat to start loading the bags. 

Three of the seven canvas Africa bags full of MIL's clothes. The coathangers were in a continental pillow case! 

Rina adds hooks to the curtains - I carried Pam's many [eleven] winter coats across my one arm while carrying another canvas Africa bag in the other

Every time I returned to the flat to pick up more bags, Pam said she was sorry she couldn't help me as she was waiting for "Roll call" The morning sister calls each resident on the property (including those living independently in houses) to check that they're OK. I told Pam not to worry, she needn't help at all.  

Once Clifford had connected the TV, Grant fetched it from the flat and they set it up. Next he offered to take the large fridge from Pam's flat back to our home on the back of his pick-up truck. Once the gardeners, John and Jacob had unloaded it and  carried it into my home, they loaded the bar fridge onto the back of the truck and they all arrived at the unit. 

Grant and Clifford guide the gardeners in with the fridge

Clifford connects the fridge while the others watch! 

Back in the flat, Pam had borrowed a wheel chair. She loaded her groceries onto this and wheeled it down the passage to the unit. 

Pam pushing her groceries down the passage from the flat to the unit

Turning the corner of the passage, Pam is greeted by carers George and Elizabeth

Pam wheels her groceries down the passage to her new unit

Meanwhile the men had brought her bed across, Rina and I made it up with fresh linen and I packed the bags of clothes on top. 

Pam starts unpacking her bags and cases...

...into the beautiful, spacious cupboards lining one wall

Back in the flat, my house - lady, Erica scrubbed the carpets in the bedroom and lounge; she cleaned the bathroom and toilet while Rina washed out the bedroom cupboards and kitchen cabinets. 

Earlier that morning, I popped my head into Pienkie's unit. She was sitting having her coffee while still clad in her pajamas. She invited us to have a cup of tea once we'd finished moving. At 9.15 we phoned Rina and called her to join us in Pienkie's room. The builders were attaching a towel rail in Pam's bathroom, so she didn't want to leave her room. Pienkie poured her a cup of tea, I added a cookie and took it down the passage to Pam's unit. 

Grant waits while Pienkie makes tea for me, him and Rina (who's to the left of the photo) 

On Tuesday afternoon, Rina and I visited Pam again to check she was settled in. That night not one of us four "oldies" needed any rocking to get to sleep!

On Wednesday morning while Rina supervised the staff here at home, Grant and I drove down to the retirement center at 8.30. Although Clifford had said that the TV wall bracket was incorrect and that he'd buy us the correct one in the city, Grant worked out how he could use it on to hold the flat screen TV. 

While he mounted the bracket to the wall above the fridge, I unpacked Pam's kitchen cleaning products from a cardboard box in the bathroom into the kitchen cabinets.  I also unpacked her bath products and personal toiletries into the small loose-standing cabinets in the bathroom. 

Grant mounted the TV onto a bracket above the fridge

From this angle, you can see the large picture window which lines almost one whole wall

The kitchenette with TV mounted above the fridge. One of the easy chairs stands against the picture window

Standing with the kitchenette at my back, I focused on the other side of Pam's beautiful bed-sit unit

We're very thrilled with the unit and the whole retirement center. Pam is served three meals a day (the main, midday meal she eats in the common room along with the three other old ladies in the unit section) and has everything else she needs or wants.

Happy Thursday to you all!