HealthBridge Elder Care Case Studies

Mrs. Cardoni had taken care of her husband for years.  As his Parkinson’s and Dementia progressed, caring for him became more difficult, but she persisted.  After Mr. Cardoni was released from a hospital stay, Mrs. Cardoni’s children encouraged her to allow HealthBridge to provide post-hospital care for her husband and she begrudgingly accepted.  

 

Mrs. Cardoni was more than pleased with the caregivers, but she was eager to be back as her husband’s sole and primary caregiver.  After a few weeks of carefully measured and managed care, the family and HealthBridge scaled back care to intermittent visits.  Although this left Mrs. Cardoni alone to care for her husband, she was happy to be back in charge as his primary caregiver.  

 

Unfortunately, Mrs. Cardoni was getting weaker and the stresses of caregiving were taking a toll on her.  Still, she refused additional care, until finally she reached her breaking point.  Mrs. Cardoni was, herself, hospitalized for a variety of reasons, all of which were caused by the exertions of caregiving.  

 

Challenge 

 

Even after being released from her own hospital stay, Mrs. Cardoni insisted on being her husband’s primary caregiver.  Her family knew that if she continued, Mrs. Cardoni’s health would quickly deteriorate and Mr. Cardoni’s Parkinson’s and Dementia would go largely unchecked.  

 

How would the family ensure their parents received the care they both needed, without upsetting their mother?  

 

 

The Cardoni family called a meeting with HealthBridge Vice President Courtney Layton to search for solutions.  The real problem, they discovered, was Mrs. Cardoni felt disenfranchised when the caregivers were there.  In her mind, they were replacing her in the role she most treasured.  Caring for her husband was how she expressed her love for him, since his mind was growing distant due to dementia.  Any solution would need to ensure that Mrs. Cardoni still made a positive contribution to his care.  

Together the Cardonis and Courtney devised a plan that carefully moved Mrs. Cardoni from the role of caregiver to the role of care manager.  She interviewed a group of HealthBridge’s finest caregivers and selected the four that most impressed her.  She worked extensively with Courtney to create the plan of care and poured her experience into the work.  As care began, Mrs. Cardoni supervised and directed the caregivers, ensuring that her husband still received her personal touch.

 

 

As it turns out, Mrs. Cardoni is a wonderful care manager!  She supervises her husband’s care and ensures that his needs are met with the care and thoughtfulness that she, herself, would provide.  What’s more, she is no longer in danger of creating her own health problems because of the physical stresses of caregiving.  Her family sleeps easier at night with the peace of mind that both of their parents are well cared for.  Best of all, Mr. Cardoni’s care has never been better – it’s delivered by professional caregivers and managed by his loving wife.  

 

By working with the family to understand their parents’ true needs and worries, HealthBridge and the Cardoni family were able to create a plan of care that made both their parents healthy and independent at home.  

 

Mr. & Mrs. Cardoni asked that use pseudonyms.