We see what others don't

After a stroke in 2014 resulted in a left-sided hemiplegia, Tom was told he’d be in a nursing home for the rest of his life, and wouldn’t walk again.

Two years on, Tom and his wife Dawn weren’t satisfied with the amount of therapy Tom was receiving in his nursing home. Their GP recommended Brightwater At Home, enabling Tom to return home and Dawn to receive support as a primary carer.

Today, Tom has made remarkable progress, particularly with the support of his Brightwater physiotherapist and occupational therapist. The highlight has been assisted walking, both inside and outside his home.  

The support has changed Dawn’s life, too. Help with cleaning and home maintenance has freed her up to spend more quality time with Tom and their family.

In addition to nursing and allied health services, Brightwater At Home has arranged for massage and reflexology for Tom, as well as gardening, window cleaning and painting for their property.

Other practical support included the provision of mobility equipment, including a wheelchair and ramps, and a widened door frame for the toilet and bathroom. A future plan is to replace carpet with vinyl in the bedroom to improve wheelchair mobility.

“Brightwater is amazing – the staff really make things happen,” said Dawn.

An overdose on drugs caused Matt to suffer from a stroke, with the effects being more than just physical.

A young outgoing man in his 20s, Matthew’s confidence took a nose dive when he had to learn how to walk, talk and complete everyday tasks again. Matt had significant damage to his short-term memory, but his time at Oats Street enabled him to slowly re-gain the skills he once had and live a more independent life. 

90 year old Jeanette has osteoarthritis, asthma and bowel cancer and requires ongoing social and domestic support. With the assistance of Brightwater carer Jennah, Jeanette has been able to remain living with her daughter, husband and their 2 children instead of moving into an aged care home. Jennah has been visiting since last year to assist with chores while Jeanette’s daughter is working.

Jeanette’s daughter said, “Jennah has visited mum twice a week and helps with washing cleaning and social support. Having Jennah to help with these chores has meant it has been easy for us to have mum living with us in our home rather than in a nursing home.”

Jeanette’s daughter goes to work twice a week and is thrilled at the support they have received from Jennah since June 2018.

“Thank you for providing such a wonderful carer. When I go to work I know that Jennah is popping in for 2 hours while I am away to help mum. Mum enjoys Jennah coming.”

Fred remembers a car turning across in front of him while riding his motor cycle, giving him no chance to prevent the collision.

Fred has always loved to paint since he was a child, and with Brightwater's rehabilitation program, he was able to focus on the everyday activities he enjoys the most. It was no easy feat, but it made a world of difference, providing the confidence to get back into the world independently, once again.

We all want the very best for our loved ones, so when Susan’s 91 year old mother was diagnosed with advanced dementia, she wanted to make sure she received the best care possible.

Susan’s mother was an avid traveller, having lived in India and Britain with her husband and was particularly proud of her beautiful and extensive wardrobe. She enjoyed writing and created 3 books based on her life story.

In the later stages of dementia there is progressive loss of memory and increased loss of physical abilities such as communicating, walking, dressing and eating. It was important that Brightwater staff visiting Susan’s mother’s home were kind and gentle as although many abilities are lost as dementia progresses, some, including the sense of touch and ability to respond to emotions, remain.

 “All members of staff were kind and gentle with Mum (and me) and very caring. They gave outstanding service and taught me how to look after someone with advanced dementia. Communication was excellent and there was complete reliability of staff, I was very impressed,” said Susan.

When you become a Brightwater At Home client, your wellbeing and quality of life are top priority. Susan was delighted by the reliable, caring, kind and gentle nature of the staff towards both herself and her mother.  

At just 48, Todd was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, a disease responsible for 10-15% of dementia cases in people younger than 65. It quickly affected his personality, behaviour and language, making him unpredictable and aggressive.

With a background in aged care, Todd’s wife Debbie says her greatest fear was a dementia diagnosis when she noticed his behaviour change in 2013.

“We discovered there isn’t a lot of support for younger people with dementia. My sister Lisa and I struggled on our own caring for Todd, and because of Todd’s behavioural issues, we weren’t able to get support workers in place or access respite services.”

As part of their NDIS funding, Todd was able to access a psychologist, speech pathologist and occupational therapist through Brightwater.

Today, Todd’s behaviour is more manageable, and Debbie and Lisa have good support systems in place. Todd now has behaviour management plan and a care plan, and a referral to a psychiatrist has resulted in more settled behaviour. A support person regularly comes to shower Todd and another carer takes him for drives.

Brightwater Senior Clinical Psychologist, Dr Nicky Brosnan, said having NDIS in place had helped keep Todd at home, where he and his family want to be.

“Todd would have ended up in a secure dementia unit if his aggression had not been managed so successfully,” said Nicky.

A car crash eight years ago left Josh with an acquired brain injury, but with Brightwater's Oats Street rehabilitation centre he was able to live independently once again. 

Oats Street made sure Josh was strong enough to regain independence because it was one thing that Josh didn’t want to live without.

Janet’s dreams of an active retirement were shattered when a hiking holiday in Tasmania went horribly wrong.

A speeding vehicle smashed in to the car her husband was driving. The crash left Janet in a coma, with a traumatic brain injury and acute joint pain. After a six month stint in hospital, Janet was left feeling very frustrated. She moved to Oats Street rehabilitation centre where the community-based setting suited Janet’s outgoing personality, with her family noting a change in her almost immediately.