CASE STUDY #1:

Fall Emergency/Recuperation/COVID

*Barbara: A 98 year old who lived in her own home with round the clock live-in care.

Barbara’s children lived apart from her, but were her guardians and very involved in her care.   I lived with her as part of her live-in care team, caring for all her needs on a 24- hour basis for most of the week.  Unfortunately, on a day I was to return to work, I learned from the aide that was with her, that she had suffered a severe fall and was on her way to the hospital.

I went straight to the hospital, and discovered that the fall had left her with an injured leg, including broken bones.   At the hospital I, I comforted her, met with doctors, and gathered all necessary information, relaying this to the family and keeping them informed until one of her children arrived. After emergency treatment she was able to go home.  Prior to leaving the hospital, I met with her doctor and nurse to make sure of the necessary steps for her care.  I also made sure that she had adequate supplies to be comfortable at home.

At her home, I nursed her and worked with her doctor and children concerning managing her pain medication, and overall comfort, since she would be bed-ridden for a while.

I developed health and safety protocols for Barbara, as well as for her family members and aides, to help her adjust and transition to a new level of frailty,  and to adapt to her increased need for care.  Throughout this crucial time period, with sudden drastic changes in all aspects of her previous life, I continued to be Barbara’s primary caregiver.  With ongoing therapy, and an exercise regimen I implemented, Barbara was eventually able to walk with her walker, as she did prior to her fall.

I subsequently assisted Barbara throughout the entire two year-period of the COVID pandemic, until the lifting of mask mandates.  I developed a critical care plan to keep her safe and to minimize her chances of infection.  This plan included steps to maintain her daily life in as normal a fashion as possible, and to implement health norms and minimize disruptions to her care. Barbara remained healthy and was able to continue to enjoy life during and after the pandemic.

Throughout my time working with Barbara and her family, I continued to train staff on how to maintain her safety, hygiene and general health.

CASE STUDY #2:

Fall Risk/Multiple Illnesses/ Mostly Homebound/Using a Walker

*Ann was a senior in her 60s who lived independently, without live-in help, but was disabled, visually impaired,  and had a diagnosis of brittle bone disease.  She was only mobile with the help of her walker and needed a comprehensive safety plan to prevent falls and injuries. I provided assistance with all activities of daily living, and acted as her liaison to the community, so that she could get her basic needs met, like shopping, picking up prescriptions, and also enjoying cultural activities like music performances. I worked with her providers to keep her services and medical needs attended to on an ongoing basis.  I directed other aides and trained them on how to maintain her quality of life:  her personal hygiene, the cleanliness of her apartment, her doctor’s appointment, her food choices, etc.  I also assisted her in safely accessing social media so that she could keep in touch with relatives who lived far away.

Ann’s medical needs were complex, and ongoing, since she had several co-existing ailments and diseases including asthma.  She had several hospital stays, during which time I was her advocate, making sure she received the best possible care, and was not taken advantage of.  I tracked and helped her manage her medications and remained in contact with her pharmacy, and monitored her medical care eligibility and certifications.  Her doctor’s appointments were numerous, and there were always issue concerning transportation, and the type of transport that was best suited to her condition.  I worked with Ann and identified the providers who were most reliable and efficient, so as to minimize her chances of injury and of missing appointments. Overlaying all my assistance to her, was the fact that she was extremely fragile, and it was important that my services and direct hands-on care, supported her as she navigated all the of the daily challenges she faced.  During my time assisting Ann, she continued to live independently and maintained the lifestyle that suited her and made her happy.

CASE STUDY #3:

ALZHEIMERS CARE

*Janie was a 72 year old who had rapidly advancing alzheimers, for approximately two years before I started working with her.  I teamed up with her son and her aide, in maintaining her overall care. Upon assessing the level of difficulties Janie had with her memory and communication, I designed and conducted a program to help stabilize her cognition in the moment and uplift her mood.  I created activities where she and I could be in companionship and engage in activities that were relevant and meaningful to her.  With the help of her son, and her other aide, Janie lived well and was able to benefit from the care and activities that were provided.

CASE STUDY #4:

BED-RIDDEN

*David was 68 and was bed-ridden with alzheimers.  He was completely non-verbal and barely mobile, having lost most of his motor functions.  When I started working with him, he was battling a bed sore, and I was able to offer suggestions and help on how to keep it under control.  I cared for all his needs, including feeding and changing him.  I instructed his companion, on how to improve his feeding, and demonstrated techniques that relieved some of the difficulty of swallowing, etc.   I also re-worked the environment so that the overall atmosphere was more positive, in spite of David’s lack of awareness.