Helen, an 89-year old living alone after the loss of her husband, suffered from a series of mini-strokes which resulted in a hospital visit. This event alerted her family to the fact that Helen now needed more care than they alone could provide. Helen’s family wanted to make sure that she had the best care while also ensuring her comfort; she wanted to recover in her home rather than being transferred to a care facility. In order to make their plan a reality, Helen’s family contacted ASI.

Later that year, Helen had surgery to place a pacemaker and experienced a decline as she struggled to recover. Helen was now suffering from falls, cognitive fluctuations, and delirium from lack of oxygen. We were there to help her family manage the situation and ultimately resolved many of these problems.

Here are some of the medical issues that Helen was experiencing at the time:

•  Trouble sleeping
• Weakness, shortness of breath, extreme fatigue
• Delirium and hallucinations
• TIAs (transient ischemic attacks or “mini-strokes”)
• Foggy memory
• Loss of appetite and weight loss
• Swelling in lower legs and ankles
• Decline in walking ability and coordination