As you are probably aware, Derek, a Needham resident since 1962 suffered a serious stroke at home in April 2016.
Derek has now been transferred to a nursing home in Norwich as he will never be able to live an independent, solo life again. His mental capacity has not been impaired but his mobility and swallow have been severely compromised and he is still very much in the 'grip' of post stroke fatigue.
He is settling in OK. He has had one spell back in N&N since last writing with pneumonia but battles on. We moved his exercise bike into his room and despite the fact that he can't walk as his balance is severely affected he manages somehow to drag/crawl from bed to the bike, cycle for 25 mins every other day (increasing the resistance each week, of course!), fall back off said bike and crawl back to chair/bed!
The nursing staff would not believe us when we told them that he was using the bike (“impossible - he can't manage and my staff would see…”) and then he was 'discovered' at 5am one morning by a surprised night worker.
His swallow is severely compromised and although he was 'risk feeding' prior to his last admission into hospital, he has now been put on a strict nil by mouth regime and 100% peg fed. Quite how long he will tolerate this again I don't know, but at the moment, three weeks into it, he remains surprisingly compliant.
All in all, he is in quite good spirits - I'm not sure if he fully appreciates that he'll never be able to live independently again and none of us 'kids' want to burst his bubble. The nursing home is very new and the accommodation and public areas are lovely. Staff seem to be caring.
He often talks of Needham village life and the people and we reminisce right back to when I lived at home with my horses (1974) and beyond!
He wishes all who know him, and especially his fellow dog walkers, a very happy and healthy 2017 and God's Blessings. He would love to hear or have visits from anyone from the village.
His address is:
Ivy Court
Ivy Road
Norwich
NR5 8BF
(very close to Norwich Community Hospital/UEA/Norfolk & Norwich Hospital)
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