Adams Care Case Study

Gerald arrived home bed-ridden, slightly confused and very weak with little or no leg or arm muscle after weeks in bed. Carers from “RAH” visited from that first evening. The following morning Claudine, the Deputy Manager at “RAH”, visited to discuss Gerald’s needs in detail. One of the first things she did was to organise a bigger hospital bed for Gerald as she deemed the bed supplied too short in length. Care visits were scheduled for morning, lunchtime, teatime and evening to cover washing, changing pyjamas, nappies and bedlinen as required, skin monitoring, creaming and re-positioning. I would provide all Catering and Oral Medication. 

From day one the carers encouraged Gerald to move his body around and after a week he was moving his legs and arms and, with help, shifting himself around in bed. Within two weeks incontinence protection pads were no longer required, a urine bottle and bed pan were now adequate. Gerald was getting stronger and less confused. 

Encouraged by the carers, I arranged for a physiotherapist to visit. She was upbeat about the possibility of Gerald getting up and gave him leg exercises to do in bed. The following week she added exercises sitting or standing beside his bed with a walking frame and after another week walking exercises were included. The carers took on the responsibility for doing all these exercises with Gerald each time they visited. This worked well as, whereas Gerald would tell me he did not “feel like” doing the exercises (often resulting in an argument), he just got on with it with the carers, who brought a freshness and enthusiasm to the task, praising every improvement achieved (and taking a lot of the pressure off me). Within a month, Gerald was preferring his armchair to his bed, using a commode during the day and eating his lunch and dinner either at the dining table or in his armchair. A little later Gerald started using the bathroom toilet instead of the commode and soon he was able to step out onto our balcony and down the two steps into our study, using his walking frame. In mid-June he did his first walk outside and from then onwards chose to dress daily in normal clothes rather than stay in pyjamas. He had been home for three months by this time and the carers had encouraged him every step of the way. 

At the start of July Gerald began using a perching stool in the bathroom for all his washing needs. All bathing in bed stopped and the carers persuaded him to shave and clean his teeth himself before they arrived each day. Gradually in the ensuing weeks the carers empowered Gerald to wash and dress himself with minimal supervision. 

By mid-July only one carer was deemed necessary for the lunchtime and teatime visits, which fundamentally involved Gerald doing his exercises. At the beginning of August Gerald swapped his walking frame for a walking stick and was much happier, feeling more himself, less of an invalid. In the middle of August we moved out of the lounge back into our own bedroom and our own beds. At this time Gerald stopped using a bedpan or urine bottle altogether, preferring to use our en-suite toilet. Much encouraged by the carers, we started getting out and about more, using a four-wheel rollator and/or the car. In mid-October the lunchtime and teatime visits stopped completely and the evening visit was reduced to one person. After December 3rd the care visits will cease altogether as Gerald is almost back to his old self apart from the continuing need for oxygen when moving around. 

The carers have been an integral and vital part of Gerald’s journey back from the brink. Besides the dedicated and enthusiastic care they have given Gerald and the adaptability they have shown to his changing needs, they have taken us out of ourselves, relieving the monotony of our everyday lives by engaging us in conversations on topics ranging from Strictly Come Dancing to the Belarus refugees and from electric cars to the Northern Lights, whilst carrying out their duties. As well as looking after Gerald there have been times when their help and encouragement have seen me through a dark patch and given me strength when I have sagged. They have become part of our lives in a very big way and we will miss them hugely.