I've always told my children that they must attend their degree ceremonies to receive their degrees: not because it will do them any good, though. Degree ceremonies, I tell them, are not for the graduands. They are for the parents of the graduands. So I was rather hoping that my mother would be able to make it to my degree ceremony in Liverpool in December. It's looking increasingly unlikely, though. I think I mentioned that she had had a fall, and that it was taking some time to get better - or at least less painful. Since my sisters would be away on holiday, I voluteered to hold the fort whilst they were away.

So I arrived in Rotherham last Friday and rang the Abbeys Nursing Home where she was supposed to be, who told me that she had been moved to another Nursing Home. I rang them and confirmed she was there and arranged to visit the following afternoon. When I got there, they told me that she had had another fall and had been taken off to A & E at Rotherham General Hospital. Fair play to them, they contacted the hospital and confirmed that my mother would be taken to ward B3, "Within 20 minutes". So we packed a bag for her and off I went to Rotherham General. From what the nursing home said, mum had tried to get out of bed for some reason, and had fallen in the attempt. They found her on the floor, apparently.

Anyway, I arrived at Ward B3, Rotherham General, at the same time as mum - which was convenient. The doctor came to see her whilst I was there, and the story from A & E was that she had broken her hip and would have to have an operation either to put screws in or perhaps a plate, depending on what they found when they operated. The doctor assured me that this was a completely different injury to the one sustained previously. As I left, the nurse told me they would have a case conference in the morning (Sunday) and if they decided it was an emergency, they might operate straightaway - otherwise, it would be a day or two. So I agreed to phone at midday Sunday to find out the score.

Midday Sunday, the hospital told me that the surgeon had studied the X-Rays and decided that it wasn't a break. They therefore thought that she would be well enough to go back to Broom Lane Nursing Home the following day (Monday) if transport was available. Mum was a bit confused when I saw her (she thought she'd, "Had the operation"), but then again, so was I by this time; but she was otherwise well when I left her on Sunday afternoon.

When I arrived home late on Sunday, the phone rang: Rotherham Hospital phoning to say that mum had had another fall. She had apparently tried to get out of bed and had slipped on the polished floor. How she could manage to get out of a high hospital bed with the sides up when she's supposed to be so immobile and in such pain, I don't know. According to an eye witness (the lady in the next bed who was just returning from the toilet as mum fell), she slipped, but caught hold of the side of the bed and so simply slid more or less gracefully to the floor. So calling it a fall might be overstating things a bit. Anyway, the hospital said they wanted to keep her in for at least another day just to ensure no damage had been done.

I rang the hospital again on Monday (she'd been moved to ward B2 by then, apparently). They said that she was fine in herself and that she would be returning to Broom Lane on Tuesday. "The ambulance is booked". And, in fact that's what happened.

The rest of the day was spent phoning the Nursing Home and the Social Services to make sure everyone knew what hospital out-patients appointments had been booked and generally trying to get things tidy for when my sister returned.

My sister got back on Tuesday night, and I spoke to her briefy then, and then again today. Physically, my mother is slowly on the mend, but mentally probably not. That decision I spoke of before is getting closer and we know it.

So I think my mother will miss my graduation.

Pity.