Postponed residential care for 2 years

Hannah Bailey, 85, has a formal diagnosis of vascular dementia.  She lives in her own home with the support of a home care service and her daughter, Caroline, who lives 10 miles away.  She is physically fit and active.

Home carers call three times a day to prompt meal preparation.  Caroline, who is working, spends Wednesday afternoons with her mother, taking her shopping and to the hairdresser. She and her husband help Mrs Bailey with the house and garden every Saturday, and on Sundays, Caroline takes her mother to her home for the day.  All told, Caroline carries a heavy caring role on top of her job.

Recently, Mrs Bailey walked to the local shop but got lost on the way home. The Just Checking system was installed to see how often Mrs Bailey was going out and for how long; if she was out for long periods perhaps she was often getting lost?

The system showed that Mrs Bailey did go out occasionally but returned within 30 minutes, about the time it takes to walk to the shops and back. It confirmed that Mrs Bailey went to bed at a regular time, slept soundly, and got herself up each morning. 

Caroline's brother, who lives in New Zealand, also logs on.  Caroline says she feels that her role is now more shared with her brother and they have a good conversation about their mother when they talk on the phone each week.

Over time, Mrs Bailey’s condition gradually deteriorated and she eventually moved to residential care more than 2 years after the Just Checking system had first been installed.  Caroline and her brother had used the system every day for 25 months. The decision to move Mrs Bailey was made by Caroline and her brother, and care professionals who were supporting Mrs Bailey, with the help of the activity charts to guide them.