© Danielle Robertson Consulting Pty Ltd t/as DR Care Solutions
An old family friend made contact to explain that her 89-year-old father, Ray*, was in hospital with terminal Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. It had recurred after a decade in remission. Additionally, he had ruptured his spleen in a fall about six weeks prior. The spleen was removed. He was catheterised and remained quite uncomfortable.
Cognitively, Ray was fully alert and had decision-making capacity. His wife of 63 years and four children were distraught and needed a compassionate ear. After being advised that his illness was terminal, his wish was to return home to die.
Given the nature of his extensive care requirements, for at-home palliative care, a large team had to be assembled and quickly. Ray needed:
It was a race against time; Ray was dying and he was very clear about returning home as quickly as possible.
In this scenario:
DR Care Solutions was engaged and within five days, DR Care Solutions:
On the day Ray was to return home, his oncologist said his condition had deteriorated to a point where he couldn’t return home. Ray passed away peacefully that afternoon with family by his side. Everything had been set up in accordance with his wishes, however we just couldn’t get him home in time. The family were most grateful that we had done everything we could to give their loved one his final wish.
* Names have been changed to protect the identity and privacy of subjects.
For more information, please reach out to Danielle Robertson at DR Care Solutions for an initial discussion on how to set up the right care, support and assistance for your loved one, at the right time and in the right place.