No longer a world apart

What a week this is turning out to  be. So much good news. The news that we could go out from Sunrise came out of the blue, immediately changing my life.

Today, the almost two-year-long design and refurbishment of Sunrise was completed and the difference is amazing. The whole building is brighter, even more attractive and comfortable. Every part of the building has been updated with new furniture and pictures. You can already feel the residents’ relief at the changes, not just in our home, but in our day-to-day life.

I had a chat with Danica Mrozek, the interior design manager for Sunrise Senior Living, responsible for the ‘new’ Sunrise. She is staying for a few days to oversee the result and she has a lot to be pleased about. Tomorrow the press are coming to view her efforts.

I am lucky with the timing, too. I am feeling better than I have for months and think I have finally recovered.

I celebrated yesterday with a trip down to the shopping parade opposite the Discovery, open at last, and managed to do some shopping in Tesco. It was good to see all the shops, most of them new, open, and I hope they all do well.

It is so good to be back in the real world. For too long we have lived in a world apart - the title of the book edition of my blog diary that Robert, the editor, and I have decided on.

Freedom for me too

Just a few hours after I posted today’s blog I have heard that it is, after all, Freedom Day for me too.

Guidance from the Welsh government says that residents assessed as not at risk do not need permission to go out. At last!

I hope to do so later in the week after my scooter has had its annual service. Then I can hit the road - or the pavement. And I can return the three library books I have had for over a year.

The visiting rules have also been changed. We can now have two sets of two nominated visitors and they can come to our rooms

A day to remember.

Freedom day

It’s the long awaited Freedom Day for most people in the UK. The day hotels, pubs, cinemas, theatres reopened after months. But not everyone is free.

There is still no sign of the burden on us care home residents being lifted.

While concerns grow about the Indian variant cases, hospitalisation and deaths are the lowest for many months.

Wales has one of the lowest rates, yet we are still waiting to be allowed out into the world and to have the strict. limited  visiting rules changed

How long  will this be allowed to continue? I have no idea but I have today emailed the new Wales Health and Social Services Secretary, Baroness Eluned Morgan, urging her to act.

We will see.

The answers to yesterday’s Drinks quiz

1 Water

2 Russia  Japan  Greece  Spain

3 4,000 BC

4 Burton on Trent

5 Italy

6 France

7 Rheims

8 Sugar

9 Any fruit

10 Vodka

11 Muskatel

12 Hampshire

13 Tot

14 St Bernard

15 Apple cider

16 USA

17 Jerez

18 Whisky

19 England

20 Pastis

21 Red

A drink quiz

I don’t like taking part in quizzes. I don’t know most of the answers and and am too slow in giving correct ones, but I enjoy producing them.

I have just completed my ninth for Sunrise where quizzes are a popular pastime

Here is my new one.... Drinks. 

If you have the time, try it.

1 Of these main ingredients of beer, which is the most important

Hops  rye  yeast water

2 What countries produce these drinks

 vodka sake ouzo  sangria

3 When was beer first drunk

1 3,000bc 4,000bc 1290  1520

4 Which of these English towns is known as the Beer Capital

London  Masham  Burton  Sheffield

5 Which of these countries produces the most wine

USA  France  Italy  Australia 

6 And which of them drinks the most of it

7 Which is the most famous French champagne cit

8 What is the main ingredient of rum

9 What can brandy be made from, apart from grapes

10 which of these drinks is the strongest

 Whisky  brandy  port  vodka 

11 Which is the sweetest of these sherries

Oloroso. Amontillado   Muskatel  Paola Cortada

Bl12 Which of these English counties does NOT commercially produce cider

Somerset  Devon Herefordshire Hampshire

13 From 1870 to 1970 the navy issued a daily.....? of rum

14 What type of animal is associated with rescuing stranded travellers

15 Even during prohibition in America one drink was allowed - what was it 

16 Which country invented cocktails

17 Which town is famous for sherry 

18 The original name was uisge beatha. What does it mean and what is the drink

19 Which of these countries does NOT produce whisky

England  Australia  Canada Japan

20 What is the favourite drink in France

ANSWERS TOMORROW

The transformation of Sunrise Cardiff

What a transformation. Sunrise Cardiff is celebrating the completion of its refurbishment project. Rightly, too. It is magnificent.

The well designed and equipped building, opened 14 years ago, was always comfortable and attractive - that is why I chose Sunrise after looking at other care homes. But the interior was looking a little worn. 

Now, all is changed. The new Sunrise Cardiff is bang up to date, brighter, more spacious for the residents and easier for the carers and the whole team.

It has taken almost two years but it was worth the wait.

What is needed now is for visitors to be able to come and see us, how comfortably we live and how well we are looked after in lovely surroundings.

Mr Drakeford, let us go out!

I am one of 13,600 who live in care homes in Wales and have had our two vaccinations. I have also had coronavirus and am recovering.

So I should be relieved and happy. But although I have have been very fortunate I am frustrated and surprised. While life is opening up for everyone else, I, and all the care home residents, are being left behind. 

Despite all the plans and pleas, no one seems to be listening. We have been marooned for almost 18 months. We can at least now have one hour visits by one nominated person at a time, but that is not enough.

Sunrise is an excellent, well-run home with a magnificent team who make life comfortable and as interesting as possible, but they cannot make decisions on relaxing what is for most a tedious time.That is up to the government. 

The election showed that Wales backed Mark Drakeford, the first minister, because of his handling of the crisis but even he is remarkably quiet on the plight of us old people.  

England has just announced that care home residents can now go out. I hope our new government will be bold enough to decide it is time to give us a livelier life.