Mary and her husband will be married 64 years next March and any period of time they were apart was when she was in hospital, he missed her terribly.
83 year old Mary was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease when she was 53. Homecare first called with Mary four years ago following an incident when she fell and broke her hip. Over the four years, the care assistants that visit are always the same faces, and this consistency provides comfort and familiarity to Mary, especially at a time when her dependency on them is increasing.
Mary and her husband will be married 64 years next March and any period of time they were apart was when she was in hospital, he missed her terribly. Her granddaughter states:
Without the care staff from Homecare there’s no way she would have been able to stay at home with her husband or spend every day with her family, grandchildren and great grandchildren, she would have had to go into a home. The care assistants have become like extended family, you can trust the girls to come in and lift her spirits. They don’t leave until she has everything she needs, respecting her wishes, ensuring that she has her rosary beads every night because that is her belief.
Her granddaughter went on to say that Homecare staff are very vigilant, continually communicating with the family, reporting any concerns from redness on the skin to something as simple as her requiring new toiletries. All of these little things make the difference.
With Parkinson’s Disease, Mary’s mobility can vary drastically and there are both good days and bad days. This year she broke her hip as a result of two falls and the doctors felt that the position of the break wouldn’t benefit from an operation. On a good day she can walk with her wheeled zimmer and with supervision and assistance from the care staff, other times she is transferred via the wheeled commode.
One care assistant, who has been calling with Mary for 3 years, explains:
Friendships have been formed with both Mary and her family and I fully understand Mary needs. Trust develops between a care assistant and a client and you do grow close to them. You recognise if anything is wrong. As a result the service provided is of a higher quality.
