I'm glad that Lana is ok but I am really sorry to hear about your dad Hopefully you'll get some sales but more importantly I do hope your dad is ok. Keep going, you sound like you are coping ok even though it seems like a lot!

Sorry to hear about your Dad - it's always hard when elderly parents/relatives are unwell. Really glad that Lana appears to be settling down while you are out. I'll keep my fingers crossed that it continues. Well done!!

So sorry to hear about your father, it's such a worry when this sort of thing happens isn't it.

On the plus side, it's great news about Lana behaving herself when left - I am delighted for you because if she continues in this vein then it will certainly make things easier for you in the future.

Thanks for the messages. I left Lana today for 15 minutes and this time I could hear her moving about. I can only really hear when she goes into the hallway with the clicking of her claws on the floor. I wouldn't hear that if I got around to laying the carpet there but no barking at all. It must be the zylkene helping a bit I think and although I can't leave her for long as long as I can nip to the shops at the moment that will have to do. I have a web cam somewhere so will see if I can figure out how to work it and whether I can put it somewhere to get a good view of her. I might start shutting the cage door while I'm in and see how she takes it then after a while pop out for two or three minutes till I see how she reacts to being shut in.

The good news is that I have my dads bank cards I told him when I looked at the balance I stood at the atm machine grinning and imagining taking all his money out and running away We wish they would hurry up and get all the tests done but think it won't be good news. They've been asking him about living alone so we're not sure if they're thinking of getting social services involved and we're annoyed they haven't contacted us and don't tell us much, so next week we're going to be demanding answers although at visiting time there's never anyone around. It's almost as though everything is top secret.

I'm surprised they're not quicker at chucking him out as he makes a very bad patient and he's such a moaning bad tempered old booger I don't know how they put up with him but he says they are all really nice so that's good. We're hoping he can get home next week as we believe that at his age they go downhill quickly when in the hospital as they have nothing to do except get weaker and weaker. Hopefully we'll get some answers next week.

I might have missed this, but when your dad is discharged from the hospital, will there have been a care package organised?

If you are your dad's carer then you should be entitled to a carer's allowance.

Whether this would help your situation with Lana I do not know, but it is something you should look into, and as I say, I might have missed this advice - in which case I apologise for the repetition.

Sorry to hear your dad's in hospital now, and good luck with all his tests. I know the feeling about having your elderly relative in there, they treat you like a mushroom, they all ignore you when you ask questions coz they're too busy with their paperwork. If you're worried yourself about him being able to cope home alone, then you will have to ask the sister or doctor if you can have him assessed. They might be doing that anyway, in which case, it is they who decided whether or not he goes home I'm afraid. They have a little test procedure for people who live on their own, they have to be able to make a cup of tea and other things and if they can, then all well and good if he wants to go back home. Otherwise, they will sort out the necessary care for him at home or elsewhere. You can step in here and ask to be his carer, when you will be paid the grand sum of £47 per week approx. but that's top rate, for somebody who needs help 24/7 (good isn't it - not!!!). Good luck with him, you need to be ascertive if you want answers, otherwise you'll just be left in the dark most of the time.

So pleased to hear little Lana did so well being left on her own, it can only get better hopefully! Has your puter got a "record" facility on it? If it's got speakers, then it should have this? I use mine when I have house viewings At least that way you can hear her if not see her if you can't find that webcam.

All the best with it all, must be worrying for you.

I haven't commented on this thread either as I felt you were getting so much good advice I couldn't really add anything to it.

Sorry to hear about your dad. Hope he is home soon he should be assessed and go home with a free 6 week care package and depending on the review at the end of the 6 weeks and a possible financial assessment learn whether he is entitled to more care through Social Services at a reduced rate only personal care though or whether he will need to employ private carers.

You may need to look into him being entitled to Attendance Allowance to pay for Carers if he is not entitled to care through SS. Not sure if things work the same in Scotland as things do here in the South.

If he does need some help with housework etc., may you be able to do this and he pays you and you can take Lana along with you ?

Wishing your dad well and you find a solution to your problems with Lana soon.

Malka, Helenab and Lynn, we're not sure about anything. Trying to get information out the hospital is difficult. It's a case of waiting until they do the next couple of tests and getting the results and them deciding what's wrong with him. They might decide there has to be a care program in place but knowing the time it takes for them to get around to things my sister and I have decided that if he can we would prefer him home sooner and I can stay with him a lot of the time so I could apply for the carers allowance. Hopefully we'll get some info next week and be able to make some decisions.

We are wondering about the care package as according to my dad they've been asking lots of questions and can't seem to get it that he's been living on his own and can get cups of tea and stick food in the microwave and shock, horror doing his own shopping. I think they would be more amazed if they knew some of the places he goes to on his mobility scooter

He'll want home, he won't want to go elsewhere, we've been trying to get him into sheltered accomodation for ages but he won't go.

My sister knows of one woman who was in hospital and they wouldn't release her until she got banisters for her stairs which took months for social services to get round to doing and we don't want that for my dad as he'll go downhill faster the longer he stays in hospital. We'll be demanding answers as soon as the other tests are done. I do his housework and cut his grass now anyway and as long as I have internet access I can stay at his to see he's alright. We realise that in time he will need more care than I can give him but we're not willing to leave him in hospital while they slowly, slowly, slowly get around to dealing with his case.

We've spoken about this previously when I wondered if I could/would move in and take care of him as we don't like the things you hear about old folks homes and how they are treated but he is such an annoying, ranting, bad tempered old booger I wonder if I would last more than 24 hours before bashing his head off the wall so it's a lot to think about.

1cutedog - Sorry to hear about your dads ill health

However, good news about Lana. Glad that the zykelene seems to be taking effect with her, and that's great that she was ok for those 15 mins. If you could here her tap-tapping then you would have for sure heard anything else. Hopefully the pacing will calm down.

Really hope that things continue to go well for you with Lana, and wishing you all the best for things with your father.

You seem to be in total limbo re your father, and until they complete all their tests and things you can't really sort anything out can you, which must be so frustrating. I wish you all luck that it can be sorted out smoothly once he is better, but I can understand that you may not want to move in with him to be his carer! No matter how much we love them, not every parent is lovely and cuddly and easy to get on with 24 hours a day!

Lana really is improving isn't she, and although not yet perfect you can at least see a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.