The 'is this ok?' thread

[ParisGal]

Here you definitely can't drive to a walk. Shops yes.

[Squirrel]

Of course! I hadn’t considered the breaking down issue. This really is a whole new way of thinking, to tax my tiny brain .

[Margo]

It was Hilary Jones, yes, so not government advice, but good advice nonetheless. Everything we do every time we go out will have an implication of some sort.

[cluefree]

Thanks Margo. We’ve just reluctantly decided to only use the car for shopping and medical appointments. It does make sense and this whole thing is about reducing risk so that’s what we’ve decided.

[Bendywendywoo]

I will have to drive to work, it's 13 miles from home, but now I'm scared the green flag man will be cross with me again. You should have seen his grumpy response to me calling him out at 7:30am on a Saturday morning recently I have chucked s set of jump leads in my car, not much else I can do other than keep it well fuelled I guess.

[cluefree]

Ah, Bendy. Your car travel is totally essential though, so there’s nothing you can do about it. I’m sorry about the green flag man though.

[ParisGal]

Dickhead neighbour has just returned from spending the night elsewhere

[Texaco Shirley]

I need to drive even to run really, we’re on a main road up a steep hill and run out of pavements very soon. If I stop off at the park on the way to buy food I hope I’m sufficiently mitigating the risk. I’ll have to rethink for days I wouldn’t otherwise need to go anywhere.

[speedy gonzalez]

Thanks for the replies everyone. My brother and sister are looking after her but neither of them has a car and they've been struggling to get veg & milk.
We'd also need to use a car to do shopping at most of the supermarkets although I am hoping that the little Asda which is nice bike ride away is still okay for stuff as I'd probably use them mainly. Get my exercise & shopping in one trip.
All the crazies seem to be focusing on the really big stores round here. The queues for the NHS hour were just stupid. I work in the NHS but not for the NHS and Mr Speedy does work for the NHS but I already decided it was a bad idea so we just stayed away.
Luckily for walks we're fine. Fields and woods and cycle paths are either just at the back of us or just across the road. Planning on sticking to cycling mainly so I can just whizz past people.

[Disco]

but good advice nonetheless. Everything we do every time we go out will have an implication of some sort.

Oh I do completely agree!

[Mountain Goat]

I'm reluctantly cutting back on outdoor exercise until I go a bit mad. I have a garden, and plenty of indoor exercise options, so I'll leave the park to people who need it more.

[baargain]

Oh, speedy. My mate was stuck in the middle of the NHS tesco chaos, it was awful.

[Toast]

I'm really annoyed with my mum. She has reduced lung capacity, fairly severe asthma, Crohns and diabetes yet she's still not isolating. She's confused about various hospital appointments, which I understand and she's speaking to the surgery/hospital and taking their advice but will she cancel the gardner? The cleaner? No. The gardener would be okay if he stayed outside but he frequently needs to use her toilet so will be in and out the whole time and the cleaner is presenting with symptoms, works in an old people's home and is in and out of people's houses all day. She also has kids and I know they've not been isolating. She manages to keep on top of most of her cleaning but things like changing the duvet cover and cleaning the shower is difficult for her. I've suggested that it won't be the end of the world if the shower isn't deep cleaned and if it's really bothering her then she could use the smaller, spare duvet that she can change more easily but she just keeps on about how it makes her feel better to have the cleaning done.

If anyone has any suggestions then please share!

[purple_dress]

That's tough, toast. Is there anyone she would listen to like if you could get her doctor to tell her?

Cleaners should not be coming, surely? We had an email from our cleaning company last night saying that the service was stopping.

[Toast]

She has a friend who was a nurse about a billion years ago who seems to think it's fine.

My mum's cleaner is self-employed and a friend. She knows about my mum's health problems but I imagine she must be worried about her income.

[ParisGal]

Can you show her some of the videos (young) patients have made from their hospital beds, talking about how horrible the illness has been? My brother sent one to my mum as she'd been talking about getting it now while there's still space in the hospital etc. Fortunately she'd already changed her mind though.

[purple_dress]

Yeah it's tough for cleaners. We pay our cleaner separately to the company and are going to continue to pay her but I know that's not an option for all. We've been let off the nursery fees, which was a huge relief.

[Toast]

I'm not sure that will get through to her. It's hard to explain but she seems to only be able to understand things that are very specific to her. If there was a woman who was her age with the exact same medical problems who caught the virus from her gardener or cleaner then it might make more sense but even then she'd find some reason to argue. Oh, but she lives in London where it's much worse, for example.

[Chicky]

Youngest has just gone to play basketball in the street. He has been going to the local park where there is a basketball court but obviously he can't do that now. I guess it's no different to running? He's by himself anyway (He can't play in the garden as it's all grass/decking).

That's tough Toast. Can you get in touch with the cleaner and offer to pay her for some sessions in lieu of her actually going round? OR would your mum just get someone else?

[Toast]

I would do that if I thought it was about the money but unfortunately I don't think it is. Thank you though. I don't think there is going to be a solution.