HealthBridge Elder Care Case Studies

Dallas Daughter Solves Mother's Senior Care Problems

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Cam Willis and her eighty-two-year-old mother, Abbie, had planned a fun weekend road trip together to Shreveport. When Cam arrived that morning to pick up her mother for the drive, she immediately noticed her mother’s unusual behavior. Abbie was disoriented, erratic, and unable to complete her packing her luggage. Assuming that her mother was just having a bad morning, Cam finished the task for her, and they headed out on the open road.

Throughout the weekend trip, Cam observed Abbie’s disrupted sleeping habits, disorientation, and lethargy, and at that point Cam started having warning bells go off in her head as this behavior seemed out of sorts for her. When the weekend trip was coming to a close, and Cam brought Abbie back home, the unthinkable happened: Abbie fell in her bathroom, was immediately taken to the hospital by ambulance, and then diagnosed with four fractured ribs. In addition, Cam was informed that her mother would need rehab to rebuild her strength and was having the beginnings of short term memory loss, which would only continue to increase in the future. Although Abbie and Cam had begun to consider the idea of a retirement home for Abbie, her mother’s fall and additional prognosis accelerated the process significantly, and Cam began making plans to relocate her mother that very day.

Challenge

“As an only child, I had no siblings or family in town, and I had not married. While my mom was in the regular and then rehab hospitals, I was still trying to work full time, checking in on my mom, collecting mail from her apartment, investigating retirement centers, arranging for her upcoming move, and still trying to run my own personal life.” Cam explains “Basically, I was managing two lives by myself, and I realized I needed help!”

Solution

At the recommendation of a nurse, Cam contacted HealthBridge, and that very morning, Matt Johnson and Courtney Layton, Vice President, HealthBridge, came out to visit with them. In the midst of the confusing, changing circumstances, Matt and Courtney took the time to completely understand the situation and recommend a personalized solution to provide the best care for Abbie while relieving Cam of immense stress.

Cam explained “I realized that the more nervous my mom was becoming by her changing circumstances, the more I was reacting to these changes. My mom wasn’t acting like my mom, and it really threw me.”

She continues “Initially, HealthBridge proposed round the clock, twenty-four hour care of my mom, delivering someone to assist my mom that first night. In addition, Courtney even helped me navigate through the maze of healthcare insurance coverage, allowing me to better understand what was covered and what wasn’t.”

HealthBridge continued to assist Cam with the day to day living and care for Abbie, including helping her shower, dress and providing overall personal care in addition to helping with meals, light housekeeping, and driving to appointments. All the while, Cam was able to effectively and efficiently coordinate and manage her mother’s move to a retirement home, knowing her mother was in capable hands.

Three months later, Abbie’s doctor recommended that Cam relocate her mother to an assisted living center due to Abbie’s additional memory loss and need of more ongoing care. Feeling the stress mounting, Cam recognized she had another move to coordinate and implement on her mother’s behalf, and HealthBridge was there to help with Abbie’s care. Once Abbie settled in her new assisted living residence, Cam has continued to utilize HealthBridge more on a case by case basis for periodic morning grooming, errands, and transportation to and from doctors’ appointments.

Result

“Over the past six months, I have worked with numerous HealthBridge personal care attendants in a variety of capacities and spoken with Matt and Courtney countless times. They were extremely professional and sensitive to our needs, have always been in the loop on my mother’s care, and consistently went the extra mile” explains Cam.

Simply put, HealthBridge delivered personal relationships and peace of mind.

“I feel like they genuinely care for me and my family, and I have made some new great friends. It’s neat to know that HealthBridge is there when I need them,” Cam expresses. “I’m not sure what the next stage will be in regards to care for my mother, but I do know that I can count on HealthBridge to walk with me, step by step.”

Written by Carolyn Cameron