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Case Study
"Emergency Planning Applied At An Emotional Time"
A Residential Aged Care Solution
Introduction
Four days before Christmas of 2023, DR Care Solutions received a phone call from previous clients relaying a scenario that we had planned for 11 months prior.
The Problem
Bob*, the hard-working father of three adult children, grandfather to eight, and loving carer of wife June, passed away suddenly on 21 December at the age of 71.
For close to five years, Bob had cared for June* around the clock. June was diagnosed with early onset dementia 12 years ago. While mobile, June, now 72, needs constant supervision and guidance and sits in silents or rests most of the day.
The Care Solution
Twelves months prior to Bob's death, his son, Dale*, contacted DR Care Solutions to seek advice on how to support his ageing parents, particularly his father who was ignoring his own health concerns, and any enjoyment of life, to support his wife.
We visited the retirement village home where Bob and June were well settled. With Dale present, we had an open and frank discussion with them about their care needs now and into the future.
Bob admitted that behind his stoic exterior, he was at an all-time low. The caring, the cooking, the shopping, the cleaning, the home maintenance, the doctors' visits, and the constant supervision of June were wearing him down. Depression and anxiety medication was not enough; he needed more help in the home to care for June.
After this assessment of their needs, we drew up a Life Plan™ setting out our recommendations and suggestions on what needed to happen now and an emergency plan on what needed to happen if various scenarios eventuated, including Bob’s sudden passing.
The Outcome
As recommended in the Life Plan™, the family agreed to have some in-home care support for three hours, three days a week. Once June became familiar with this assistance, the care would be increased to five days a week.
While the Government Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) had visited in the past year, the family was still waiting for Government-subsidised care assistance. We put in motion for another ACAT to take place for June to secure a higher funding package.
In the meantime, we recommended that in-home care be paid for out of their own pocket (privately funded) while they waited for Government-subsidised care assistance. In our assessment, Bob and June needed immediate care support in the home.
We recommended the purchase of some practical items to improve their quality of life from day one and, in the Life Plan™, we also set out the agreed course of action if certain scenarios presented themselves – i.e., the emergency plan.
The Life Plan™ stated that if Bob passed away suddenly, June would be immediately relocated into an appropriate residential aged care home close to Dale’s home.
On the day that we were told of Bob’s passing, we contacted 11 suitable residential aged care homes in Sydney (they were from the Hunter Region). Three had available beds. Tours with Dale and his wife of those homes were arranged for the following day with DR Care Solutions obtaining the necessary clinical acceptances, undertaking pre-vetting and settling the tour appointment times.
June moved into the chosen nursing home, four minutes by car from Dale’s home, in the first week of January with the family requesting a delay in her arrival so that they could spend time grieving the loss of their patriarch with June, in her the retirement village home before relocating to Sydney after the funeral.
* Names have been changed to protect the identity and privacy of subjects.
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