Hilda: Former World Traveler
When We Started
Hilda was 79 years old with a long career as an au pair and a love of traveling and nature. She was divorced and had not been in touch with her own children for many years. Her long-time friends were her only support, and she was declining. When we met Hilda, she was living alone with the help of part-time caregivers.
She needed to sell her home due to financial limitations and move to an assisted living community, but was unlikely to be accepted based on the following:
- Negative behaviors such as yelling, aggression and agitation displayed towards neighbors and friends
- Exit-seeking behaviors resulting in her wandering
- Not eating regularly, with little attention paid to nutrition
- Napping for long periods of time in the middle of the day, with unknown nighttime sleep routine
Interventions We Performed
- Expanded the caregiving team to include nighttime supervision
- Established a daily routine to include regular exercise, walks outdoors and improved nutrition
- Implemented medication changes and monitored behaviors
- Provided regular coaching to Hilda’s friends and caregivers in ways to interact and redirect undesirable behaviors
- Implemented reminders and toileting routine to reduce incidents of incontinence
Outcome for Hilda
- Renewed interest in mealtimes and nutrition
- Engaged in new routine, decreased exit-seeking
- Pleasant and charming with improved behaviors
- Decreased interest in napping during the day and improved sleep at night
- Successful move where Hilda quickly became a much-loved and active community member