Okay, So Mom has been admitted yet again to the local hospital. 'Visit Mom', your android app calendar chimes. You groan and put your right indicator to the hospital. You find the parking space and the ward half an hour later. So how is mum? you ask the nurse with the not-so-well-ironed-shirt. "I am only a bank nurse. The staff nurse in charge is on a break". You don't dare ask the duration of the break lest you infringe the human rights agreement with other countries including Brussels. You wait. Mom is sleeping. You don't dare wake her up lest she starts ranting again. You don't even know when she started getting her dementia because you thought she always used to rant anyway. The nurse breaks your reverie. "Can i help you" " I am my mom's son"- you cringe hearing yourself and continue anyway- "Are there any plans to get her home yet?". A well practised shrug and a helpless grimace tells you everything you need to know. "We are waiting for the therapy report and then the social worker will have to liaise with her GP regarding funding issues depending on which I will put out the section XXIII form which will then trigger the community social worker to talk to her carer agency who will then......." You are not sure what you just heard but you nod anyway because that shows you have been brought up in a civilised family. "Any idea about time scales?" You don't know why you sounded like a browbeaten loser but you sounded like that. "We will let you know when we hear something. Just ask one of the nurses when you come next time"...and the next time and the next time...You wonder if the room has an echo. The nurse leaves and you decide to leave quietly, having done your bit as the "good son". "Is that you Patrick?"...oh no Mom, you need to go back to sleep. I am in a hurry. You make the heart wrenching decision to sit down anyway and hold her hand. You see the daily newspaper on mom's lap. The headline news thankfully is not yet another terrorist bombing but instead about bed blockers in the NHS delaying timely care to many others. Mom made it to the national news. Finally!