Last month, Maria worked her way through inpatient rehabilitation after a brain aneurysm and was cleared to return home. Her daughter Sofia and their Aging Life Care Manager® prepared for Maria’s return by making home modifications and arranging caregiver support for Sofia. Now, Maria and Sofia adjust to a new way of life at home and look to Maria’s future.
Adjusting to Home Care
Maria was relieved to be back at home among familiar surroundings. After the intensity of inpatient rehab therapy, simply being at home and slowly returning to her normal routine was a welcome change. As she tried to get back into her usual activities, Maria found herself becoming fatigued and overstimulated much faster than she was used to. She started worrying that she hadn’t recovered as much as she had thought. Maria’s concern became worse when she realized that she still had memory gaps at times. Maria spoke to the care manager about how she was feeling, voicing her anxiety about her cognitive decline and her fear of losing independence. The care manager listened to Maria’s concerns and assured her that recovery wasn’t always a straight line. While setbacks might be concerning, it didn’t mean that recovery was impossible; it might just take more time than expected. The care manager connected Maria with a therapist who specialized in helping older adults with lifestyle adjustments.
Sofia was also having a hard time adjusting to her new role as caregiver. Having a caregiving aide helped, but Sofia was still becoming mentally exhausted from keeping track of all the parts of care that her mother needed. She felt guilty for wanting a break. During one check-in visit with the care manager, Sofia off-handedly mentioned that she had planned a vacation with her boyfriend in the next few weeks, but that she wouldn’t go now that her mother needed her. The care manager saw that Sofia needed a break and assured her that it was ok to go on vacation. Maria quickly backed up the care manager, not wanting Sofia to miss out on anything because of her care. The care manager arranged extra care for Maria during Sofia’s vacation and sent updates to Sofia so that she was still aware of her mother’s health.
Gaining Traction
Sofia came back from vacation feeling refreshed and ready to take on caregiving again. She was excited to share stories and pictures of her vacation. Having a new topic of conversation to share helped refresh Sofia and Maria’s relationship.
Meanwhile, Maria was beginning to take a new approach to her activities. Instead of trying to do exactly what she did before, Maria saw that making little adjustments made her usual activities fit with her new limitations. The care manager gave Maria suggestions on how her hobbies could be made to fit with what she could do. Though she wasn’t ready to cook for herself again, Maria began reheating her own meals that had been prepped by the meal service. Maria’s mobility was still too limited to garden regularly, but with Sofia and the care manager’s help, raised garden beds were set up that Maria could sit by to work on. The care manager also introduced some memory exercises for Maria to improve her cognitive health. With these small changes, Maria was able to regain some of her independence.
Sofia was delighted that her mother was making progress. She felt relieved of some of the pressure of caregiving, especially now that she knew that she could safely take a break from caregiving if she needed one.
Looking Ahead
With Maria improving and Sofia adjusting to the caregiving routines, both began thinking about plans for Maria’s long-term care. They sat down with the care manager to make a care plan that would cover aging care into the future. The care manager walked them through the different aspects of care planning and ensured that they had plans in place to cover any future needs. Together, they reviewed:
- Aging In Place: Maria wanted to stay in her home as long as possible, so the care manager helped them plan for future adjustments to Maria’s home to make it aging friendly.
- Financial Planning: The care manager put Maria and her family in touch with an estate planning attorney to settle financial questions about Maria’s future care.
- Emergency Plan: A plan of action was created to follow in the event of another medical emergency. Maria’s medical alert system was already set up from her return home, but now a list of the proper people to contact, Maria’s insurance information, and other important medical information was gathered and placed in a location that someone could direct first responders to if needed.
- Check-In Appointments: In addition to regular doctor appointments, the care manager scheduled regular therapy check-ins for Maria to maintain her mental health and catch any signs of cognitive decline early.
Aging with Confidence
With a structured plan in place, Maria felt hopeful about her health moving forward. Sofia was confident in her ability to take care of her mother and now knew who to turn to for caregiving support. The care manager continued to stay in touch with Sofia and Maria, always ready to help adjust support or care plans as Maria’s needs changed.
Read Maria’s story from the beginning!