Keith* and Ingrid’s* Story

Ingrid was first diagnosed with front temporal lobe dementia back in 2014.

Her husband, Keith, had retired just one year earlier and the couple, who have been married for 45 years, had been planning to travel and make the most of the new leisure time they should have enjoyed together so the diagnosis hit them both particularly hard.

“At first I don’t think we knew what to expect,” said Keith. “However, my wife’s health gradually deteriorated, and it got to a point where I knew I could no longer manage her care by myself.

“Finding a good care company was very hit and miss to begin with. We tried a couple of local care providers but to be honest they were atrocious. They often turned up late and the continuity of care just wasn’t there.”

In 2019, Keith got in touch with Nexus Care. By this time, Ingrid’s condition was quite advanced and she was bedridden. The team from Nexus visited the couple at their home and carried out a full assessment of Ingrid’s care needs.

She now receives four calls per day, partly funded by her local authority, and all her personal care and feeding requirements are taken care of. Importantly for Keith, the package of care also includes respite for him.

He explained: “No matter how much you love the person you are caring for; it can be a strain and it leaves very little time to do things for yourself. Nexus provides me with a few hours of valuable respite so that I can go out without having to worry about Ingrid.

“It can be something simple like a walk in the park but those few hours are so precious, providing some much-needed ‘me time’.

“Although Ingrid can sadly no longer communicate when the carers talk to her, it’s clear from the look on her face that something is registering. We have a number of good carers who all have the ability to be able to talk to Ingrid and take the time needed to both feed her, as her ability to swallow is gradually deteriorating and to interact with her as best as they are able.”

“When I look back to the care we received previously, there’s really no comparison.”

*names have been changed to protect our clients’ identities