Where to from here...

Finally I have found what seems to be an appropiate place for Nelson to go from hospital - BUPA Ashbury. It is a high care residential facility that caters for old people but also many younger people with brain injuries (aged 20 up). My very helpful friend John looked at me during our visit and said quietly, "there's life here...". That means a lot when you're in a nursing home (they prefer "high care home" as a label). It is a small place with 50 residents. There are a large proportion of people under 50 there and the general noise level was low - good for Nelson's noise sensitivity which also affects a lot of the other residents there. There is activity but it is kept contained in an area so as not to disturb the other residents if they don't want to take part. There is definitely a motivating vibe in the place and a bit of positive energy which is unusual. The building itself has been renovated and is pretty modern and not dingy or depressing like many others.

I see that Nelson will benefit from having a much more structured daily routine (which the occupational therapist in the hospital feels he really needs) and proper continence management. They will make sure he gets up and dressed every day and motivate him to participate in their exercise regime in the full gym they have onsite. They even have Wii with games and brain exercises as well as physical exercise programs. The activities include music therapy and art therapy and the outings they organise seem much more in keeping with Nelson's interests (no bingo!). The overall emphasis is towards rehabilitation rather than maintenance of people going down hill as most nursing homes necessarily are.

The Director of Nursing seems a passionate and proactive person who gives anything a go and knows the ropes as far as younger people in Nelson's situation, and also knows her way around the whole brain injury therapy landscape - very much more helpful than a conventional old age care nursing home!!

Nelson is being moved early morning on Thursday and will need a week or 2 to recover from the move. It would be great for family to visit in that time. Please continue to check in with me for visits so I can make sure it doesn't get too much for Nelson and that there are not big gaps with no visitors as well.

I feel this is the beginning of a positive new phase of Nelson's recovery and possibly somewhat a period of consolidation - very necessary in the cycle of recovery. I feel he will finally be able to rest and recouperate (not really possible in hospital). He will have his MRI as an outpatient in March.