Martha M. – A Scenario from Home Instead in Bryan/College Station
The first two times Martha M. fell in her home, she hurt her pride. The third time Martha fell, she broke her hip.
Falls are more common in the homes of seniors than they need to be. Martha’s last fall required surgery and a fairly lengthy stay in the hospital. When she got home, her son, Mitch, decided that it would be wise to seek professional help. Taking the recommendation of the discharge planner at the hospital, he called Home Instead.
At the initial Care Consultation, it was discovered that Martha not only had issues with falling, she also wasn’t getting proper nutrition and would frequently forget to take her medicine for high blood pressure – two red flags that alerted Home Instead as to why she might be falling. It was determined that Martha would have a CAREGiver in her home Monday through Friday when Mitch was unavailable to provide her care.
Karen F., a Home Instead CAREGiver since 2006 was assigned to provide Martha’s care. Karen, a CNA, immediately studied Martha’s Plan of Care and concluded that Martha reminded her of her own mother. Karen’s mother had fallen and broken her hip and had been generally neglecting her own health care needs while she took care of Karen’s father. She failed to eat properly, and it became obvious to Karen that Martha needed her Tender Loving Care.
On the first visit, Martha and Karen got to know one another. They talked about where they were born and raised, what their hobbies consisted of, how many children and grandchildren they had, and before long they developed a very satisfying relationship.
Soon, Karen was preparing highly nutritious meals for Martha and was sure to keep Martha hydrated properly, as well. She assisted Martha with exercises prescribed by her Physical Therapist, she helped Martha in and out of the shower each day for a bath, and they still had time to reminisce about the good old days. Martha’s strength grew as did her relationship with Karen.
Mitch, in the meantime, was able to monitor what was going on with his mother through the Client Portal in Home Instead’s Clear Care program. He discovered that Martha was not only healing physically, but she was also demonstrating an interest in life that he hadn’t recently seen in her. When he visited her on weekends, he saw a person who was thriving in body and mind.
Martha’s health conditions improved dramatically through a coordinated effort by her doctor, her home health agency, and Home Instead. Martha and Mitch decided that – after almost 4 months – her strength was up and her ambulation difficulties were down. They continued to have Karen in the home but were able to dial back the schedule so that the vast majority of Karen’s time in the home was for companionship, housekeeping, and meal preparation only.
Even though this scenario is not based on an actual client story, it is indicative to the care and compassion that we strive to achieve for our clients. At Home Instead, we care about positive outcomes for our clients. We believe that relationships are every bit as important as tasks. We know that seniors demand and deserve great care that encompasses the mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing of the client. That’s why we say that to us, it’s personal.
