Going home from residential aged care - Hank’s story

I wanted to share this inspiring story with you as a hopeful example that residential aged care does not have to be forever.

This is Hank’s story, who so generously shared it with me and is happy to share it with others.

Hank and his wife have become part of our family. In his younger years, Hank was a brilliant athlete, so when my younger sister started taking running a little more seriously, Hank became her running coach. They would train around the local golf course beside his house, Hank in his golf buggy, my sister running with their dog coming along too. And every run meet Hank was there, coaching and cheering her on.

Hank has had his health battles, and more than once has been told by a Doctor in hospital “don’t expect to go home”. During his last stint in hospital, he had a fall, which damaged his body severely. He became one of those names on the daily bed management meeting list - a long stayer, a bed blocker. His wife knew she wouldn’t be able to met his clinical care needs if he came home, so before they even realised what was happening, a contract to move permanently into a residential aged care facility near the hospital had been signed. They thought they were signing up for respite. It was all a shock as things moved so fast and they had never considered that they would be separating by one of them going into a nursing home.

Fortunately there are some wonderful people who do work in aged care, and the manager at the nursing home near their home had a bed open up and was able to sort things out for them. This meant he could still be part of his local community and didn’t place pressure on his wife to spend a good part of each day driving to visits. Hank’s clinical care needs were not something the staff at the home were very familiar, but unlike other nurses he had been care for by before they took the time to learn. The nurses at the local nursing home were supported (virtually - a positive to come from the covid lockdown years) by nurses at a major metropolitan hospital to deliver Hank’s clinical care, and slowly with time they were able to get things under control and improve Hank’s quality of life.

There came a time when his wife realised Hank’s condition had improved so much that she would be able to take care of him at home. They tried a night home, then six night. After that week long stay at home they realised they most definitely could live back at home together, and went in to talk to the manager about making it a reality. Her response to Hank’s question of what would he need to do to go home “if you can do a 180 degree turn and walk out the door you can go home now”.

And home is where he is, as we sit under his back patio, none of us with eye sight good enough to know who people are who yell “hello Hank” as they pass by his fence on their golf buggies. Hank tells me things are far better now he is living back at home.

Hank had been approved for a level 3 home care package prior to his fall in hospital, and they were able to access that on his return home. They had been on a wait list for nearly three years and the timing of a place finally becoming available was very lucky. And he is very blessed to have a wonderful wife who is able to support his care.

A key to Hank’s return home was his mental determination to make it happen all the way through. And the nursing home staff were supportive, never telling him they doubted it would be possible.

Do you know any positive stories of people being able to return home after a stay in a nursing home? What was key to their story? Share it in the comments below, I’d love to hear.