TELL ME THE OLD, OLD STORY
Having been incarcerated in the Gloucestershire Royal Hospital on many occasions, I have as much knowledge as anyone as to how patients are cared for and I can honestly say I've seen no evidence of old people being ignored or mistreated.
But according to a report by the Care Quality Commission, one in ten NHS hospitals inspected during the last year failed to treat patients with dignity and respect, "including an obvious lack of privacy, call bells being out of reach, and staff speaking to patients in a condescending way". It also concluded that; "too many nurses and care home staff oversaw a care culture in which the unacceptable becomes the norm".
If there is a problem, it's more to do with staff shortages and lack of time for training than anything else, but there is another aspect to the way we treat older people.
There are other cultures we could learn from, such as Asian or Chinese, in which the elderly are respected and have great importance in both their own families and their society in general.
But here in the UK, elderly people are more likely to be at best, ignored, and at worst, abused or neglected. All too often, old people are seen as a nuisance, slowing-down queues and failing to hear instructions, as well as needing to pee at awkward times – and that's just by their own offspring!
Most young people forget (as I did when I was a teenager) that old people were once youngsters, and by ignoring the elderly, the young are wasting a valuable resource – knowledge. I have vivid memories of things and events that; to my children, let alone grandchildren, are history. I don't know anything about 'Gangnam Style' but I remember doing the 'Twist' at the Guildhall.
Youngsters seem unaware that; one day, they too, will be old and have the mickey taken out of them by some snotty-nosed little oik!
We all start our lives dribbling, incontinent and unable to communicate our thoughts. Sadly, many of us will end our lives in the same condition. All we can do is hope for good health and a bit of dignity in between.
WHITTINGTON HAS TURNED AGAIN
One of the best things about having grandchildren is you can go to a pantomime and shout, boo and hiss without embarrassment – especially if you take the grandchildren with you!
We may live in the age of 'social networking' and computer games but thankfully, pantomimes are still as popular as they were in my day, and still as barmy.
If you're looking for a night of family fun, I can recommend Dick Whittington at the Everyman in Cheltenham. The young Kirby ladies loved it, which is great, because I was going to take them, whether they wanted to go or not!
I'M DREAMING OF A COKE CHRISTMAS
The obsession with 'celebrity' must have reached new heights (or is it lows) when even a delivery truck attracts hordes of fans, just because it's been on the telly.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of people descended on the Asda car park last Wednesday to stand by a big red lorry – oh, and get a free can of Coca Cola.
Still, I mustn't moan too much, as it's widely believed that without Coca Cola, Father Christmas wouldn't have his red and white suit. In the 1930s, Swedish artist Haddon Sundblom started drawing ads for Coke featuring Santa in a red coat trimmed with fur and secured with a large belt. The image has endured ever since, so don't leave a sherry out for the old boy on Christmas Eve – things go better with a Coke.
SOUR GRAPES OF WRATH
I can't help laughing at the idea of large companies being lectured on the way they pay tax by people who were quite happy to furnish their homes and 'employ' family members with taxpayers' money, and would still be doing so, if they hadn't been caught-out.
