Grandfather of five and former civil engineer, Anuraja, was transferred to the Hospice after a fall inside his home and a call to 111 resulted in a hospital admission. The 81-year-old had been previously diagnosed with an optic nerve tumour which affects his eyesight and hormone imbalance, and years of steroid treatments led to the weakening of his leg and hip muscles, affecting his mobility and leaving him housebound.
Due to Anuraja’s increasing frailty, doctors at the hospital didn’t think there was much they could do to help or treat him. So, when our In Reach Nurse suggested he might benefit from receiving care on our Inpatient Unit, Anuraja’s wife Rukmal became concerned about his future.
“When he first came in here, he couldn’t lift his head up and he was always sitting in bed. I was worried he might die here,” Rukmal said. “I got frightened in the beginning. You think of ‘hospice’ as the end of life.
Rukmal sits with Anuraja on the Inpatient Unit
“But after we arrived, I learned more about what Garden House Hospice Care does. I read about life-limiting illnesses, but trying to rehabilitate people, which reassured me. Then he got better.
“After about two or three days, the big change came. His face was very fresh, his speech improved and he started walking little by little. The staff really had patience with him and they were kind; nothing was too much and the service was coming from their heart.
“I can’t explain in words how pleased we are. You gave him his life back again.”
The Rehab and Wellbeing team supporting Anuraja during his stay at the Hospice
Our Physiotherapist, Althea, went to visit Anuraja a few days after he arrived home to review his mobility and function in his own environment. She credited his positive attitude and willingness to engage in the exercises aiding with his recovery, saying:
“Anuraja has made real progress since we first met him on the IPU. He’s really motivated and a joy to work with, and is taking responsibility to improve his own mobility. I am confident he’ll get up to his optimal functional ability and, with ongoing support from our Hospice at Home community team, will be able to live well with his long-term conditions.”
Ten days after arriving on our Inpatient Unit, Anuraja was discharged from the Hospice, returning to his home in Stevenage where our Rehab and Wellbeing team have provided specialist equipment and suggested exercises to help him maintain his independence as much as possible.
Hospice physio teaches Anuraja exercises he can do at home to build his mobility
Anuraja’s story is just one success of our new Frailty Service, highlighting how powerful the impact of collaboration in care across hospice teams and with our colleagues at the local hospital can be. Patients wishes, needs and aspirations are our priority, and to see Anuraja come through the whole new service from the hospital, to IPU, to the community with the support of Rehab and Wellbeing along the way is incredible. It is what this service is all about.
