Nursing Beyond the Ward

So Christmas has been turned on it's head like the rest of 2020. Last night's announcement by the government, who seem to have been chasing their tails throughout this whole pandemic, was a real blow to those of us in the South East. Food has been bought, homes have been decorated, presents are under the tree and now we can't share those things with the people we love. But that last sentence is an indicator of how lucky we really are. If we have food, homes to have a tree in, and money to buy gifts we surely are among the richest in the world. And if we have love then we still have the true meaning of Christmas. Whatever your belief, Christmas is about love. And hope. Hope for a better year to come. If you've read any of my writing before you'll know I have a lot of experience with and great affection for the elderly. One thing that strikes me about the people I know and hold dear who are in their nineties is that they have hope for tomorrow. If they didn't, the...

During one of many Covid-safe walks recently my brother Greg told me that I am one of two people he knows who hasn't had a set 'vision' for life. I jokingly asked if he sees me as a loafer with no aspirations but I knew what he was saying was positive.  We were talking about the past year and how it has affected so many people's plans. It goes without saying that 2020 has turned the world upside down and that, understandably, many have struggled with lockdowns, job changes or losses, relationships or illness. More time spent considering personal situations and futures seems to have been a common thread among people I work with and know personally, with many people making quite drastic changes to jobs and home life. As we talked further Greg explained that he sees my lack of rigid planning as a good approach and that it seems to have made me content in life. I'm aware that I do feel content but I've never considered that this may be, in part, because I failed to ...