Home Care Case Studies
Adventures in Eldercare July 2011
Over the last few months of writing this monthly column on eldercare the most common question I receive from readers is “What does an agency like Victoria Eldercare do?” I realize that the concept of home care in a non-medical situation is very new to most people, so today I am sharing a few examples of how our agency has helped in various situations. These are actual clients that we have worked with over the last year.
Case # 1 – Senior with mid-stage Alzheimer’s disease living by herself.
A senior living in her own community style apartment complex, dealing with mid-stage Alzheimer’s, kept forgetting to take her medication. After time, she began wandering around town and being reported lost multiple times, with police having to locate her and bring her back home safely.
Victoria Eldercare provided a phone call medication reminder service initially, which was very successful. Once the client began to wander, the client’s son had asked Victoria Eldercare to help out. Our PSW would take the client out for errands each day by car during poor weather, and by walking on nice days. Once back at the apartment, the two would work on crossword puzzles together and participate in an exercise program. A 3 hour visit allowed enough time to complete errands, and also expend a lot of energy allowing the client to sleep soundly at night and the wandering ceased.
Case # 2 – Senior was living with family who were going away on a 3 week holiday
The senior was no longer able to drive for groceries, appointments, pick up medications, and also needed assistance with laundry, and other household chores.
Victoria Eldercare provided a Personal Support Worker for 4 hours a day, 3 times a week. The PSW was able to drive the senior to the grocery store, drug store, and a doctor’s appointment. Assisting with laundry, watering the garden, and feeding the cats were all done during the visit. Most importantly, the PSW provided great companionship while the senior’s family was away from home. The family was then able to relax while away knowing that their mother was being looked after.
Case # 3 – Help arriving, during, and departing a function
Family was having a wedding and the Grandparents were unable to get ready themselves. The Parents were busy dealing with the wedding itself, and they knew the grandfather also needed assistance in the bathroom and with eating.
Victoria Eldercare provided a Personal Support Worker to assist the grandparents with getting dressed and driving them to the wedding reception, sitting with them, helping with eating, and assistance in the washroom. With the reception running late into the evening, the PSW was able to get both grandparents back home safely and at a time that they wanted to leave.
Dr. Bruce Veltri operates Victoria Eldercare, a non-medical home care agency matching exceptional care-givers with elderly seniors, to help them maintain independence and remain safely in their own home. Victoria Eldercare can be contacted by phone, 519-429-2644 or the web-site, www.victoriaeldercare.com
