Kincare customer joan smiling as she returns back home with kincare worker

Teamwork makes all the difference

by KinCare — 7 October 2020

After a stay in hospital, all our Customer Joan wanted was to return to her beloved home. She had missed the care and friendship provided by her family and team of KinCare Home Care Workers. Joan’s family credits KinCare’s Home Care Workers with lifting their mother’s spirits and supporting her back to good health.

We spoke to Joan’s daughter Denise about the crucial role Joan’s Home Care Workers – Linda, Romessa and Lorraine – played in supporting her mother’s journey back to independence.

“Mum’s very independent. She cared for dad in the last couple of years of his life,” Denise says, explaining that prior to her fall Joan had been living alone quite successfully with just six hours of support each week from KinCare.

“After she broke her wrist, she lost her balance and seemed to lose the ability to walk. She wasn’t allowed to walk unless she had a nurse with her.

“When she was ready to come home, the doctors said she needed 24-hour care,” says Denise.

“I talked to KinCare about increasing her support hours to get her home because that’s all she wanted to do. Mum just won’t hear of going into residential care. She just wants to live in her house. She loves her own home and wants to be independent.”

Denise says moving her mum into her own home again, with familiar faces from KinCare to support and care for her, made all the difference.

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“When she left hospital she could hardly walk, even with the aid of a walker. She had lost so much weight and had a chest infection. But when she got back into her own home, with the care she received, it’s just amazing how she recovered. The Home Care Workers supported her back to good health,” Denise says.

“Linda, Romessa and Lorraine were assisting with personal care and domestic tasks. They used to cook and get meals ready for her. They even got her walking again with the walker. I think it was just having somebody there all the time that helped. I can really give them the credit for getting mum back to living in her own home.”

Denise said knowing that she could call on Linda to accompany her mother to medical appointments was a relief for her. Linda always keeps in touch with Denise about any developments with Joan, and the three Home Care Workers communicate with each other to ensure Joan is always getting the care and support she needs.

“I know they would leave notes for each other as to what was done and what had to be done. They were all working towards the same goal,” Denise says.

Once Joan built up her strength and regained mobility, Denise reduced the support from KinCare down to around 11 hours a week, recognising regular visits by Linda, Romessa and Lorraine are an important part of her mum’s day.

Joan is now cooking for herself and her KinCare Home Care Workers visit in the afternoon to assist with showering and provide companionship.

“They come in at 4:00 to 4:30 every afternoon to shower and check on her. It’s someone for her to talk to for half an hour. She does enjoy just seeing them. They sit there and have a coffee with her. Mum feels like they really do care for her. She just feels really comfortable with them.

“I know that Romessa and Lorraine used to play a lot of games with mum. They would sit down and play Scrabble with her. Having the company of them being there was important to mum.”

Denise can’t thank Linda, Romessa and Lorraine enough for everything they do for her mother – and the companionship and friendship they provide.

“Linda, Romessa and Lorraine have provided excellent care and help to mum, as well as showing her much love and friendship.

“I would like to thank them for all the care that they had given mum to enable her to live back in her home, because that’s her only wish. She can live in her own home now because of them.”