Helping older people move - a case study of George Coleman
George Coleman had a stroke in 1987 and as a consequence suffered from short term memory loss and loss of strength coupled with a balance problem which caused him to fall regularly. Initially his wife had been able to care for him until sadly she died suddenly three years ago after being diagnosed with cancer. In the space of one week George Coleman had to change from being cared for, to caring for his wife and then caring for himself.
Events took a turn for the worse when George ended up in hospital and it became apparent to both his son Mike and George that independent living was impractical as his health was declining. Mike asked Seamless Relocation to investigate care homes, providing a short list for him to visit. Finally everything was organised – the house sorted and sold, furniture moved to George's new home, letters sent to advise organisations and friends of his change of address and meter readings reported.
Kim from Seamless Relocation commented, ‘This was a stressful time for all concerned and we worked hard to appreciate the family’s needs. Mr Coleman’s memory loss meant that all telephone conversations were backed up by letters to him and emails to his son – particularly important when dealing with his solicitors and sales agents. Physically Mr Coleman could not do very much so we became his muscle for the move!’
George Coleman is now close to his son and sees both him and his granddaughter frequently. Mike said, ‘I would recommend Seamless Relocation’s service to anyone who needs help moving home. They were very supportive of my dad’s needs. I found it invaluable being able to call Kim to discuss different issues.’
