Brenda & Calvin — An Opportunity to Care for the Whole Family

What led to Brenda and Calvin needing home health?

Brenda (age 67) and her father Calvin (age 96) live together. Brenda suffered a fall and shattered her leg. As a result, she had pins put in her leg and needed to use a wheelchair. Her physician gave her the option of spending some time in a nursing home to heal or coordinating alternative care. Brenda didn’t want to be a burden to her family, so she opted for the nursing home.

During that time, her father, Calvin, moved in with Brenda’s daughter, Amy, and her family.

What challenges did Brenda and Calvin have before working with Sooner?

When she chose to recover in a nursing home, Brenda didn’t realize that the facility was on lockdown because of the COVID-19 pandemic. During her first 14 days there, Brenda wasn’t able to leave her room. At the end of those two weeks, she was able to wheel herself to her doorway and talk to other patients across the hall who also sat in their doorway. However, the facility was not putting on any of their regular social events for patients to avoid any possible spread of the Coronavirus. The facility was also not allowing any outside visitors.

After three weeks in the nursing home, Brenda was struggling with depression and loneliness. She was used to regularly interacting with her father, her kids, and grandkids, as well as her pets at home. She also struggled with spending hours sitting in a wheelchair. She spoke with her daughter, Amy, daily, and shared her struggles with loneliness and sadness.

Calvin, Amy’s grandfather, was also struggling with unhappiness when staying with Amy and her family. Amy has a busy household that was, at times, overwhelming for him. Calvin missed Brenda, sleeping in his own bed, and the peace and independence that he had at home.

Unfortunately, Calvin also suffered a fall shortly after Brenda and had a few skin tears, so he needed additional care.

Why did Amy choose Sooner Home Health?

Amy knew that she needed to make some changes for her mother and grandfather’s health and happiness, but she wasn’t sure exactly where to turn.

Amy reached out to a friend of hers who had worked in home health for several years. The friend happened to be an employee of Sooner Home Health and gave a glowing recommendation for the company. As soon as she heard the name “Sooner,” Amy remembered getting the same recommendation from an employee at the nursing home. The employee trusted Sooner for her own parents, who loved the Sooner staff and received excellent care from them.

Amy decided to give Sooner a shot. They immediately got to work with Brenda and Calvin’s doctors to coordinate seamless care for both patients so they could go back to their home.

How does the Sooner team make it possible for Brenda and Calvin to heal safely at home?

Brenda’s care involves having a home health aide to assist her with personal care activities, such as bathing, each week. On the other hand, Calvin declined personal care assistance because he didn’t feel he needed it. They even share a nurse and physical therapist.

Their nurse ensures that Brenda and Calvin are healing, do not have infections, and that they understand how to take their medications. “[The nurse] separates their medicines and helps them understand if they’re for morning or afternoon,” Amy said. “She makes sure everything is called in, so we don’t miss prescriptions.”

From Amy’s perspective, having just one nurse and physical therapist help them both is very helpful since there’s just one point of contact that keeps her up to date on both her mother and grandfather’s health.

What does success look like for their family?

Being back in their home is a big win for Brenda and Calvin. They can spend time together, sleep in their own beds, and heal in the comfort of their own space. Success also means that Brenda and Calvin could create customized care plans with their doctors that meet their individual needs. It means getting the respect and dignity they deserve throughout their entire home health experience.

For Amy, success means having peace of mind that her mother and grandfather are healthy AND happy. Amy works a full-time job, so fitting care planning meetings and updates into her lunch break is challenging. Luckily, she’s in close contact with her family’s care staff who are willing to reach out to her outside of normal business hours.