Would you still do this? Christmas bubble?

[merrychristmasmrlawrence]

DGran lives ten minutes walk away . Would be totally alone at Christmas if not for us. Have been bubbled with her since May .

DM and I would be planning on spending Christmas in her house for three nights . Would be sleeping there so she isn’t alone over Christmas . We’d have our own bathroom but sharing a kitchen and lounge and dinner etc . She’s 85, elderly but ‘well’ elderly ie no health issues, dementia etc .

She (Gran) has been to a supermarket twice this week, and church - we will be heading to the dentist and GP Mon and Tues ... would you still go to gran’s or cancel ?

None of us socialise; use pubs, cafes, restaurants, been shopping, and we live in a tiny village with less than 0-2 cases per 1000.

Would you cancel or just keep it as is?

[merrychristmasmrlawrence]

We are in northern Scotland btw - but not a tier 1/2 area .

[Nowisthemonthofmaying]

I would go but try and open windows, keep some distance etc and not stay over as that increases the risk a lot, especially since you've all been out and about.

[Whatthefunk]

I would absolutely still go. If the drs and dentists appointments aren't urgent, maybe postpone them, but even if you can't, I'd still go. These rules are to stop big groups gathering, from all corners of the country. Go be with your gran

[merrychristmasmrlawrence]

I’m considering cancelling the dentist, as that’s 35 minutes away on the bus . Doctors I’m not able to cancel as it’s for bloods that they’ve requested .

I’m also going to try - and try - to get my gran NOT to go to mass - or if she has to, to avoid Aldi, but I suspect she will anyway ...

I think if we go we’ll need to sleep over - she will need the support as it’s her first Christmas at home without my granda .

It’s so hard to work out what’s safest sadly .

[RunningFromInsanity]

Cancel. Imagine if she gets it.
There is no need to be staying over if it’s 10mins away.

[BogRollBOGOF]

Have you checked out the rates where you are and if thet are growing/ high. Not all areas are the same!

[merrychristmasmrlawrence]

It’s not growing here, no . The area around our village/next few villages says 0-2 persons diagnosed within the last seven days - that’s out of about 3000 people . It’s somewhat higher in town but even then, much much lower than the rest of the country .

We were however put in tier three this week so rates across the shire and city are increasing on the whole ... that said, we haven’t travelled further than 10 miles since March !!

[merrychristmasmrlawrence]

So I think we are going ahead with it - suggested to gran that maybe FaceTime would be a better option and nope, not happy with that . She won’t isolate - will still go to shops and church - but we will, except for GP appt . Hopefully all be OK.

[Kittykatmacbill]

I’d go see her, but i don’t think you need to stay over.

[Piwlyfbicsly]

Are you special? This is the question to ask yourself. Are people who lost lives and jobs not important? We can agree or disagree with rules but we can’t bend them how we see fit if there’s no real emergency. It’s actually to protect your gran too.

[Wellthiswillhelp]

But op won't be breaking the rules. Support bubbles are like a household so you are able to stay over.

[middleager]

No, I wouldn't go.

[merrychristmasmrlawrence]

@Piwlyfbicsly

Are you special? This is the question to ask yourself. Are people who lost lives and jobs not important? We can agree or disagree with rules but we can’t bend them how we see fit if there’s no real emergency. It’s actually to protect your gran too.

It’s not bending any rules though is it? The law says we can have a support bubble given that she’s alone and needs care and support . We are her closest relatives so it makes sense .

And no, I’m not special - I’m just trying to work out what’s more likely to kill my gransmother - dementia and loneliness and alcoholism through forced isolation or the very slim chance she’ll catch covid from two adults who’ve largely self isolated since March - seriously, I can write a list of the number of times I’ve actually been out .

She hasn’t travelled more than ten miles in the last year, we are even less than that .

RE staying overnight there are reasons for that to do with care needs - it’s not my first choice tbh . It’s just trying to get a balance between risk of covid and causing more distress and harm by leaving her totally alone.