This transcript features Peter in conversation with Megan van Genderen and Jason van Genderen from 'Everybody's Oma'. Peter shares his mother Maria's journey through serious health challenges, mental health care, rehabilitation and residential aged care. After a fall, an extended hospital stay and multiple complications, Maria's care needs changed significantly. Peter reflects on how finding the right care community helped his mother regain confidence, improve her wellbeing and continue living a meaningful life surrounded by professional support and familiar connections.

Introduction

00:00:02 | Megan van Genderen (Interviewer):
Hello? Hi, good morning. 

Megan. Jason. 

00:00:06 | Jason van Genderen (Interviewer):
Hi, Jason. Nice to meet you. 

00:00:08 | Peter:
Lovely to meet you. 
Come here. 

00:00:09 | Megan van Genderen (Interviewer):
Thank you.  

00:00:14 | Megan van Genderen (Interviewer):
Well, thank you so much for having us today at your home to share a cup of tea. We're really looking forward to hearing about your mum, Maria, her health journey and your journey together. 

00:00:24 | Peter:
Absolute pleasure. 

Maria's health journey

00:00:24 | Jason van Genderen (Interviewer):
Your mum lived for quite some time with some acute care needs. Describe for me what some of those needs were. 

00:00:32 | Peter:
Look, she'd be okay for a couple of years. Everything would be fine. 

With depression and schizophrenia, every now and then she would have an episode. 

So she needed a lot of care, which Dad and I provided. 

What changed

00:00:47 | Jason van Genderen (Interviewer):
What changed? Why did you start to transition into a care community for Maria? 

00:00:54 | Peter:
She actually had a small fall while getting up in the bathroom. 
She had slacks on, tripped over them and fractured her patella. 
She ended up in hospital and then developed sepsis. 
It was virtually four and a half months of hell, really. 

00:01:16 | Peter:
She had nine infections while in hospital. 
One of the infections lodged under her lung and on the back of her spine. 
That knocked out the lower half of her body, so she became incontinent. She couldn't move and she couldn't walk. 

Choosing Bosley Parkside Care Community

00:01:34 | Jason van Genderen (Interviewer):
So you've been able to have a conversation with Maria about moving into full-time care. How did you choose Bosley Parkside Care Community? 

00:01:44 | Peter:
Oh, look, I think that was probably an easy one for us. 
Mum actually volunteered some of her time to the Bosley Park Care Community Centre. 

00:01:55 | Megan van Genderen (Interviewer):
Oh, wow. Beautiful. 

00:01:55 | Peter:
Which is only a three-minute walk from our place. It's on the same street. 

00:02:00 | Jason van Genderen (Interviewer):
So she was familiar with the environment? 

00:02:02 | Peter:
She was familiar. 

00:02:02 | Megan van Genderen (Interviewer):
Oh, wow. 

00:02:03 | Peter:
We made an appointment. We saw Stella there at Bosley Park Care Community. 

00:02:10 | Peter:
Very friendly, very open. It had a nice, homely feel about it. 

00:02:15 | Jason van Genderen (Interviewer):
It is very much the people, isn't it? 

00:02:17 | Jason van Genderen (Interviewer):
Bricks and mortar, glass and furniture are one thing, but finding the right people that you feel you can entrust with the care of your loved one is what matters. 

00:02:27 | Peter:
Look, they're very dedicated. 

The care that made a difference

00:02:29 | Peter:
When she was in hospital, she contracted a pressure injury. 
It ulcerated, was getting worse and was getting bigger. 
When she was transferred to Bosley Parkside, they had a look at it and got the specialised nursing team in. 
Within a few weeks after that, it had virtually gone. 

Recovery and rebuilding confidence

00:02:49 | Megan van Genderen (Interviewer)::
What's bringing her joy now inside the care community, and how is she adjusting? 

00:02:54 | Peter:
Look, it took a bit of time to adjust because she was still in that phase from the hospital. 
But she got much better mentally. 
Physically, she can now start to move her legs. 
The home's quite good because they've actually got some physio happening there.
She's gotten to the stage now where, with help, she can actually stand. 

00:03:14 | Peter:
She's making new friends there. She's got a little group. 

Managing physical and mental health

00:03:18 | Jason van Genderen (Interviewer):
How's your mum's mental health being managed in the care community now? 

00:03:22 | Peter:
Well, Mum's on long-term medication. 
The home ensures that she gets the medication, so that happens. 
Another good thing about the home is that you can have your doctors and specialists attend the home. 

00:03:40 | Peter:
She's being managed by the Brightside Mental Health Care Team for the Elderly. 

A coordinated care team

00:03:46 | Jason van Genderen (Interviewer):
I guess your mum's care needs are a little unusual because there's a multidisciplinary care team involved in helping manage her mental health needs, mobility and rehabilitation. How do all those teams work together? 

00:04:05 | Peter:
I generally supply a schedule and they'll record all that. 
They'll keep track of who's coming and whether she needs to go out in one of those specialised taxis. 

Times, dates, appointments, they ensure she's ready, whether that's for breakfast, lunch or whatever she needs. 

They're really good at managing Mum for these appointments. 

00:04:28 | Peter:
So, yes, no issues at all. Very, very good. 

Advice for other families

00:04:32 | Megan van Genderen (Interviewer):
So if there was any advice you were going to give somebody who was walking in your shoes right now, what would that be? 

00:04:40 | Peter:
Probably the first bit of advice I'd give is that nursing homes have carried a stigma over the years.

After being through what we've been through, it's absolutely, totally different. \

I know we had COVID and everything else, and there was a lot of bad publicity. 

But from our personal experience, it's been absolutely great. 

There'd be no way we could look after her at home to the degree that she deserves to be looked after. 

Closing thoughts

00:05:11 | Jason van Genderen (Interviewer):
Peter, it sounds like Mum's in a great place. She's three minutes down the road, you can visit her every day, and it's beautiful to hear your story. 

00:05:19 | Jason van Genderen (Interviewer):
I just want to say thank you for sharing that with us today. 

00:05:22 | Peter:
That's okay. Thanks. Thanks for coming. 

00:05:23 | Peter:
It's been an absolute pleasure. Thank you.