The Great Flood Part 2 and the Unwanted Tradesman

Mum turned on the taps then fell asleep on the lounge and flooded the kitchen over a week ago. All the cupboards are ruined. We're waiting for the insurance assessor to come. He's a bit slow because of flooding and heavy rains further down the coast.

Yesterday afternoon she told me the assessor came the day before, after I went home. I tried to question her about it. Then she changed her mind. She wasn't sure if the man came in the house and had a look or not, but she thinks he was an insurance assessor. After that, she said she'd rung the insurance company and said she thought rain must have come in through the window. They said they wouldn't pay the claim.

I was very confused by this time. The trouble with Mum living in her own house is that from about 4 p.m. to 10 a.m. she's on her own and I can just hope nothing terrible happens.

Since it was Saturday I couldn't ring the insurance company to find out if they'd sent an assessor yet. I have told them to speak about the matter only with me, not my mother.

But Sunday morning, today, I rang her at 9 a.m. which I normally wouldn't, but thank goodness I did. She said, "A man is here fixing my kitchen up." I said, "Is he from the insurance company?" She said, "I think so." So I said, "Let him speak to me."

OMG, this was nearly a terrible financial disaster which may have cost my mother $5,000 of her savings. Mum had called the tradesman on Saturday and had said she had water damage in the kitchen and that the insurance company wouldn't pay. She needed someone to come and fix everything. So he was there measuring up the cupboards and drawers that need replacing!

I was JUST IN TIME to tell him that we were waiting for the insurance assessor to come and that he mustn't carry out any work.

That was SO CLOSE. How do I stop her doing these kinds of things? In reality, I can't, which is why she shouldn't be living there on her own, but how can I make her leave her home and her cat? It would be so cruel. I want her to stay there as long as possible but it's fast becoming too dangerous. I can't go and stay with her at night because I can't handle her angry behaviour at times. I need to be able to escape to my place. At times I am frightened of her. If I am to survive all this, I need my own space.

Another disaster averted. How many more?

I remembered to remove the fuses for the stove today. There are two of them. I don't want her trying to cook. She's never wanted to cook, but today she said she might make a stew. Hopefully she won't, because she'll find the stove doesn't work and she'll call an electrician and that will be more money down the drain.

I think I'll type up a little note, so small that she won't notice it in the fuse box. "Stove fuses have been removed for the safety of the occupant. Please phone daughter who has Power of Attorney before carrying out any electrical work."