Home Care in Action - Staying Independent for Longer

Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is ask for help. For Woolloomooloo resident, Peter, that moment came two years ago when a hospital visit put him in touch with Catholic Healthcare’s Home Care team in South East Sydney.

The support and services he greatly needed were put in place, making his life easier and allowing him to keep living independently at home.

“I fought it at the beginning,” says 73 year old Peter, “but now I am so grateful for the support I receive. I have a care worker who does my grocery shopping and someone comes every day to prepare my meals. My home has had a spring clean and I have a new recliner chair coming which will help me get up and down.”

Peter has also been visited by a respiratory clinical nurse specialist from St Vincent’s Hospital who has arranged home oxygen therapy and ongoing treatment. A dietician is visiting next week to set out ongoing meal plans and community transport is being arranged.

“I can survive but I would be struggling on my own. I couldn’t do it for long. Home Care keeps me at home near everything I know.”

Like all Catholic Healthcare Home Care clients, Peter has also been provided with a Samsung tablet known as MyCH. The device comes fully personalised and connected to the internet. It helps clients manage their home care services and appointments, stay connected with family and friends, and access apps and streaming services – but without the clutter and jargon of everyday computers and other handheld devices.

“It keeps me connected. I love looking things up on Google and Wikipedia and playing the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire game. I love listening to music, all the 60s and 70s classics. I was searching for a song by Jefferson Starfish called That’s For Sure. I had the album when I was young and I couldn’t remember the name of the song, but my MyCH helped me find it.”

To get started on your Home Care journey please contact Catholic Healthcare on 1800 225 474.