Just Stella

@cammyk_67 @guthers102 @AT8468151479076 @simonwatt85 Yes, I left school in '71. A handful of pupils (who had always been the brightest since age 11) actually went to Uni. A few more got into Polytechnic. The vast majority went straight into work. There was never any expectation that the average kid would go!

@guthers102 @AT8468151479076 @simonwatt85 About 20 people from my year at Highschool went to uni. Out of 350ish. This was early 80’s . In my 5 years 1 guy went to Cambridge

Who else is fed up with people carping on about pensioners owning all the houses and sitting on large savings? Pensioners have paid a mortgage for 35 years so yes,they own their houses. They have to live on their savings for the rest of their lives. It's not rocket science.

@crepycidon @MissLauraMarcus I'm a similar age. None of the jobs I had until I was in my 40s had a pension scheme, and I was only able to join one then because I got a job with a local authority. The reality is most private companies didn't offer pension schemes. It was a totally different world we were in!

@MissLauraMarcus If it’s not a ride question. How can you have no other provision ? You’re presumably almost 70…. So what were you doing for half a century ?

I’m a pensioner. So I benefit from the triple lock. I get the full state pension. Which is £965 every four weeks; so equivalent to £1045 a month. I get the full amount because I have 50 years of working and paying my stamp and income tax. I get no other pension. It’s not luxury!

@StVitusDance @simonwatt85 Yes, my mum too, although most of the people in her nursing home were being funded, so it did make us think why bother!

@simonwatt85 And my dad used his 3 bed semi money to pay for his care... All gone. If he didn't have the house the tax payer would've funded. Would they prefer that?

@DebiEvansMatron As a patient or a relative in those days, wards felt organised and disciplined. It made one feel relaxed. Being in hospital now often feels disorganised which leads to anxiety. Many older people I know dread having to go into hospital because of this.

Nursing in the 1970s – A World Away from Today. Back then, we changed patients’ beds daily sometimes more if needs required. Fresh, crisp sheets weren’t a luxury; they actually made people feel better. There was something healing about climbing into a clean bed with properly tucked envelope corners. We knew all our patients by name and they knew ours. Doctors in white coats and nurses in uniforms. We knew who everyone was. The ward looked welcoming. Vases of flowers from relatives and the local flower stand to the entrance of the hospital. adorned the bedsides. Families weren’t “visitors” to be tolerated, on the contrary they were welcomed, included, and often helped with little jobs. It felt like a community. Any problems, family would be 1st to spot and report. Matron ruled the roost. You didn’t want a summons to her office. One look from her and you straightened your apron and your attitude. Standards were non-negotiable. We turned bedridden or unconscious patients every two hours, religiously, to prevent pressure sores. No exceptions. Fluid balance charts hung at the end of every bed, constantly we encouraged patients to drink, recorded every sip, and took mouth care seriously. Basic care was never “basic”, it was fundamental. Doctors sometimes prescribed a pint of Guinness for the anaemic or a sherry for the frail elderly. It worked wonders for appetite and morale. After acute illness, patients went to proper convalescent homes for a week or two by the sea. Fresh air, good food, gentle exercise. It prevented bed-blocking and got people home stronger. Palliative care wasn’t a separate specialty it was woven into our training. We knew how to sit with the dying, hold a hand, ease discomfort. TLC wasn’t a slogan. It was our mantra. We didn’t have fancy equipment or endless paperwork, but we had time for patients. We saw the person, not just the diagnosis. So… what on earth went wrong? How did we move from this to where basic care is sometimes rushed or non existent, relatives feel like a nuisance, and “turning” someone properly is squeezed between targets and tick-boxes? When did we lose the simple things that actually made people feel safe and cared for? This is just the tip of an iceberg, I could go on. I’d love to hear from other nurses who trained or worked in that era. What do you remember most fondly? #Nursing #1970s #OldSchoolNursing #TLC #PatientCare

No seriously what’s is wrong with Keir Starmer? Does he have to read each word like that? I’ve been to my kid’s school nativity and I’ve seen kids saying those lines eloquently and very intelligently than our Prime Minister.