Ben’s story: “Mum wouldn’t receive this level of care elsewhere.”
“Mum is so much better when she attends the Day Club, because it provides her with stimulus and social interaction with others.”
When Elaine’s husband died two years ago, she was reluctant to leave her family home in Howick. However, she wasn’t coping and a medical specialist advised that she needed to move into a village. “My wife and I evaluated a number of villages to help Mum find the right one. We made 17 visits across Auckland to a wide range of villages – but in the end, Mum was adamant she wasn’t leaving Howick and favoured HBH, which wasn’t even on our list.”
Initially, Ben considered HBH to be a ‘lesser’ option compared to the larger corporate villages, assuming they would have better infrastructure as well as more social activities and support for Elaine.
“We had a preconception that the newer villages were better, and we were completely wrong!” says Ben. “HBH has been a very good choice for Mum. It’s not just the excellent standard of care, but also their flexibility in providing care.” HBH took the time to understand Elaine’s needs and to tailor their care to ensure she is not only well supported, but also as independent as possible which is important.
Our Day Club: giving Elaine more ‘good days’
In Elaine’s case, her care plan includes having meals delivered to her room, her medication managed, and her days spent at HBH’s Day Club, so she is stimulated socially and mentally. “She is so much better when she attends regularly, because it keeps her busy and socially engaged”.
Ben says that having an onsite Day Club among HBH’s other wraparound services provides the best possible set up for Elaine – especially when compared with some of the other villages they viewed. “All of the services are extremely well managed, and the staff are very responsive,” he enthuses. Importantly, it means his mother is living in a safe and secure environment with the right type of care. She no longer has the worry of maintaining a large family home and feels much safer now that she has support on hand.
“We’ve learnt a lot through this process,” explains Ben. “Mum’s apartment is opposite the lift which initially we weren’t keen on. In fact, it’s been fantastic, as it has made things easier for her.”
Ben says that, despite being more affordable than most of the other places they looked at, the quality of the room and the fit-out at HBH was just as nice as the more expensive properties. It also suits Elaine to be living in a smaller community. “We can see now that in a larger village with 300 to 400 other residents, Mum would have been lost.”
“She is receiving a great level of care at HBH – we know that she is comfortable,” continues Ben. “And we have peace of mind that she’s being well looked after. Together, we certainly made the right choice in the end!”