© Danielle Robertson Consulting Pty Ltd t/as DR Care Solutions
A family were concerned about the increasing frailty of their 98-year-old dad, Robert*, who lived alone in the large family home. The family's financial adviser approached DR Care Solutions to meet with the family to plan ahead.
Robert lived alone. He was cognitively sound and used a walking stick to get around. However, he'd recently had a fall. He managed to get himself up and advised his children a few days after the incident.
Robert was adequately managing his personal care and hygiene and had prepared meals delivered and regular visits from his daughter who lived and worked nearby. His son lived two hours away and found it hard to pop in on a regular basis.
Having recently lost his companion dog, his best mate, Robert appeared depressed and said he had lost his purpose. Both children wanted their father to remain as independent as possible, though also wanted regular welfare checks to ensure he was able to remain at home.
In this scenario, the father:
DR Care Solutions was engaged and within two weeks, DR Care Solutions:
Robert remained at home with his team of quality carers in place.
Three days a week a visiting carer would ensure Robert's bedlinen was changed, his laundry done, and that his shopping and a home cooked meal was prepared.
A monitoring device with ‘falls detection’ and GPS tracking was purchased by the family to give them peace of mind.
DR Care Solutions remained in touch with Robert, his family and the HomeCare Provider on a fortnightly basis. He enjoyed the new care arrangements.
Six months on, Robert had a fall out the front of his home and fractured his right femur. He was hospitalised to have his right hip pinned. While mobile shortly after, he had lost some confidence and his cognitive functioning began to decline.
After a period in rehabilitation, the family re-engaged DR Care Solutions to find a suitable residential aged care facility for respite care with a view to permanent residence. After multiple tours of facilities in the desired area, the family decided on a care facility close to the daughter so she could continue to drop in regularly to see him.
In his new residence, Robert is eating well, having regular physiotherapy, social and participating in activities on a regular basis. His overall health is improving and, while sad not to return home, he is satisfied that he is well cared for.
Once their father was settled, the family mentioned that they didn’t realise the degree of stress they had experienced in the past year. They are now so relieved that their dad is safe, being well cared for, and improving daily. Family and friends visit regularly, and a therapy dog visits him weekly.
* 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.