We would like to give a big thank you to Mum's many pop-in carers, initially from Gardiners Nursing in Caversham, and then the live-in carers from Bluebird Care.   They would spend many happy hours playing Scrabble and doing jigsaw puzzles.  Mum was pleased that she was helping them improve their knowledge of English.

Mum's first long term live in carer was Lili, the first of three carers from Romania who my mother grew to love.  Due to lockdown Lili looked after Mum for five months.  She remembers that when she went on her break upstairs and Mum was in the garden she would look out of the window to check on her.  Mum knew she was going to do this and was always waving back.  She was very independent and it was hard for her to get used to having someone with her all the time.  Lili (and later Valeria) gave Mum lovely manicures and Lili remembers that Mum promised to treat her to a manicure in a Caversham salon after lockdown.
After Lili there was Elena for just a short time.  Mum used to love speaking to Elena's small children who lived in Romania with their grandmother.

Valeria came in August and was with her through the next lockdown, so that was another long time with one carer which was very good for Mum.   Apart from helping with her English I think Valeria would agree that she learnt many other useful life lessons from her.  Mum loved giving advice but in a caring way.

Valeria and Mum enjoyed a meal and a glass or two of red wine on Christmas Eve which in Germany is a more important occasion than Christmas Day.  Valeria told us that Mum was very happy.  She asked Mum  to record a Happy Christmas Whatsapp message for all of us which she then sent to us on Christmas Eve.  Perhaps this was a signal as Mum had never wanted to do that before.

We know it was such a shock for Valeria when she had been planning Christmas Day with Mum with no thought of what was going to happen.

We are very comforted by the fact that Mum had a Christmas hug and kiss from Valeria on Christmas morning before she returned to a sleep from which she did not awake. We would like to thank Valeria and all the other carers who made my mother’s life so happy in the last two years of her life.