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Barbara’s story

Barbara is 92 and lives with advanced dementia. The facility in her hometown couldn’t meet her specialised care needs, so she was forced to move 190km away for the right care. Her husband, Colin, is 96 years old and they’ve been married for over 70 years. Unfortunately, Colin’s poor vision means he’s unable to drive and visit Barbara. And even if he could, a 380km round trip is a lot to ask from anyone – let alone someone who’s 96. His daughter drives him down to visit when she can – usually fortnightly – but it’s another example of the system forcing an elderly couple apart – at the time when they need each other the most.

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Explore more real stories.

  • Wayne’s story

    Wayne’s mother needed secure dementia care after her Alzheimer’s disease progressed. However, appropriate care was not available close to the family home in Hokitika. She moved to Westport, leaving Wayne’s father making a 240km round trip twice a week to visit his wife. The travel became increasingly tiring and raised concerns about his safety on the road. Wayne’s mother has since been able to return to Hokitika for hospital-level care and is now within walking distance of her husband.

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  • Alison’s story

    Alison, family carer: Alison cares full time for her husband Neil, who is living with dementia. Despite being allocated 35 Government-funded respite days each year, she’s unable to use them because suitable beds are unavailable. Most years she accesses only five or six days. Sometimes it’s as few as two. She’s tried to secure planned respite as far as 13 months in advance. Alison shares about the impact limited access to respite has on family carers and the importance of carers being able to protect their own health and wellbeing.

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  • Heather’s story

    Heather, Facility Nurse Manager, Coastal View, Nelson: Heather has worked in aged care for five years and has been with Coastal View since it opened. The 59-bed hospital and rest home level facility, plus a 20-bed dementia unit, is almost always full, with particularly strong demand for dementia care. Heather shares about what capacity pressures look like on the frontline, the challenges of finding the appropriate level of care as residents’ needs change, and why increased capacity needs to be supported by sufficient staffing, training and funding.

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