Carol has dementia. She had joined us after she was rushed to hospital after burning her hand severely one night after attempting to make a hot drink.
Carol’s daughter decided to admit her mother to our Edmonton Gardens home, though Carol’s son is very close to his Mum and did not want her to be in aged care at all. This caused some problem within the family.
When Carol first arrived she did not leave her room for a week. She only wanted to talk to her children and her ex-husband Ted via video call with our Connection Coordinator.
The transition was very hard on Carol’s family, in particular her son.
Two weeks after Carol was admitted, I saw her sitting in the foyer waiting for her daughter to pick her up. I asked her if she is enjoying her stay and she said, “I have told my son I am staying here, and he needs get used to me not coming home.”
I was quite shocked as she had been so unsettled when she first arrived. I asked what had changed her attitude towards staying on, and she said, “I love it here. It’s like spending all day with my best friends!!”
Carols ex-husband Ted then approached us while he was visiting Carol a few weeks later. He said he also wanted to move in because he has been speaking to Carol via video call and, “it’s the first time in years I could see the ‘light on her face’. I can see how happy she is.”
Ted also wants to be close to Carol because she has Dementia and he is hoping she will remember him.
Having both parents together in the same home has also brought their family closer as they now do a lot of outings together.
Just a lovely feel good story about overcoming the fear of moving into residential aged care!
This story was received from one of our staff at Edmonton Gardens
