John & Dee’s story: “I can’t fault anything about HBH.”
“I can’t fault anything at HBH – the care, the facilities, the garden are all just wonderful. We’re so lucky to have HBH in our community.”
John’s wife, Dee, suffered a stroke last year, which affected her balance and caused nausea and vertigo. Fortunately, her memory and speech were unaffected. She was in hospital for three months and then returned to their family home in Pakuranga Heights, where John cared for her.
“When Dee returned home, her condition slowly improved and the nausea became less frequent,” says John. On the hospital’s recommendation, Dee started attending HBH’s Day Club once a week, which gave John a chance to have a break, catch-up on errands and keep up his interests.
All was going well until John’s mother, who is in her 90s and lives in Timaru, needed some assistance, which meant John had to find respite care for Dee. “Choosing HBH was a ‘no-brainer’,” he says. “We were both familiar with HBH and had been really impressed with the care that Dee experienced while she attended the Day Club.”
That said, they both still had lots of questions about the respite care service before they made their final decision. Jenny (HBH’s social worker) was great and made the process easy for them. “She very patiently answered all of our questions and made sure we were clear on how everything worked and what we could expect.”
John says that this is very much the HBH way, and they have been delighted with the care and communication provided by staff. “HBH’s care is consistently of a high standard, from the Day Club to respite care. The staff are kind, caring and patient with both residents and relatives!”
Another unique advantage of HBH is the ability to book in advance, which makes things much easier for families. “You do have to act quickly as it’s becoming very popular,” he adds. “HBH is also the only place that offers both respite care and a Day Club, which Dee and I truly value.”
“We’re so lucky to have HBH in our community.”
John says Dee was quite happy at HBH during her respite stay. “She continued to attend the Day Club and saw many of the same staff, so her routine was familiar. Family members also visited her there, which was a great help. I can’t fault anything at HBH – the care, the facilities, the garden are all just wonderful. It’s a very comfortable and caring place, and we’re so lucky to have HBH in our community.”
Dee continues to improve and was able to accompany John during a recent trip to Timaru to visit his mother. “Dee is so much better now,” says John. “I’m not sure if we’ll need respite care again as she is now almost fully independent, but if we do, there’s only one place for us … and that’s HBH.”