Jean in good spirits and happy to see we’ve brought a bottle of wine, which she probably drinks only when we’re visiting. She’s ninety-one now, which she notes with some pride.
Things have changed somewhat since our last visit in October. She now has 24 hour carers. This means two twelve hour shifts, eight to eight. The day shift carer now is a middle-aged Somali woman, pleasant and cheerful. Turns down our offer of a glass of wine as she’s Muslim, though she does admit that some Muslims do drink.
Dora, Jean’s regular weekly cleaner comes round. She’s been with Jean for years and is a treasure. Romanian born and not only cleans but does the grocery shopping and frequently brings home cooking. At first we aren’t sure if we’ve met before. The answer is no, but we’ve heard so much about each other that we’re not quite sure.
The carers aren’t allowed to clean as part of their contract, which is limited to personal care. Jean says she does pay, but not a lot, which is a tribute in part to her council, which is more generous and no doubt better funded than many in the UK.
So there’s always company. And not only hired, though they act more like friends than employees. Next door neighbour Gwyneth pops in every morning to have coffee and disagree cheerfully about politics.
Pass a juice shop on Kilburn High Road on our way home. Window display entirely pomegranates. Don’t buy juice but do pick up a rotisserie chicken from one of the Arabic shops.
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