Dementia Case Study - Michael and Iris's Story
Michael and Iris had enjoyed a happy life together at home for many years. However, over time Michael’s health began to decline. Michael had been living with diabetes for some time, which led to significant weight gain and he also suffered a stroke. To compound these health issues, Michael was diagnosed with mild dementia. Iris, quite naturally, was finding it difficult to cope with her husband’s growing care needs.
Iris was due to have an operation, but the stress of supporting Michael was such that it had to be postponed. It was agreed that Michael should have a period of short-stay support at a care home to enable Iris to regain her strength and have her operation. Michael was concerned about leaving home, but he knew that Caring Homes had a good local reputation, and a meeting with the Home Manger helped to put his mind at rest.
Michael has always been active and, upon arrival at Caring Homes, the Activities Coordinator worked with him and Iris to ensure he could maintain his hobbies and try new pastimes. Importantly, he was able to continue attending the local day centre where he had a wide range of friends. A comprehensive care plan was put in place to manage and stabilise Michael’s diabetes, which soon resulted in improvements to his weight and mobility, and an improvement in cognitive ability.
Iris’s operation was a success and she has made a good recovery. The staff team at Caring Homes have worked with Iris, Michael, his social worker and community psychiatric nurse to enable him to return home for three afternoons every week. Soon he will be staying overnight and everyone is working to ensure he can return home permanently with the right level of support.