At 8am the phone rings. “It’s Wandsworth Telecare,” says a cheerful voice. “Your mother’s smoke alarm has gone off twice. We’ve rung her but she seems confused so we’ve called the fire brigade.” Is the house on fire? “Probably not,” he says. “But when the alarm sounded we rang her and sent her to check the stove. When she came back to the phone she couldn’t remember if she had turned anything off. We thought we should play safe.”

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2008/may/17/familyandrelationships5

Here we go again. Mum’s carer rings me. It’s 5.30pm and she’s called for her half-hour visit, but Mum isn’t there. It’s earlier than the carer should come, and now that the evenings are light and Mum’s days start slowly, I’m not particularly worried. “She’s probably still out,” I say, “but I’ll call on my way home.”

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2008/may/03/familyandrelationships5

I need to go to the dentist – my tooth broke some time ago. I’ve also got a headache, which suggests an eye test is needed. My hair needs to be cut. And I still haven’t let my doctor know I’ve moved, although it was six months ago. But I have no time to do any of these things. Not in a preventive way, before they become emergencies. On the other hand, I have to find time to take my mother for her “follow- up” gynae appointment at St George’s hospital. They want to explore the problem that possibly caused the pulmonary embolism that possibly caused her to faint on the bus.

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2008/may/31/familyandrelationships4