How George and Sylvia settled into their home again
After a fall and a decline in mobility, George and Sylvia found themselves navigating a home care system that felt anything but personal. When unfamiliar faces kept showing up at their door, George knew something had to change.
George had always been the kind of man who sorted things out himself. For decades, he and his wife Sylvia built a life together on their own terms. Even when George turned 74, he never saw himself needing help at home. Until one day George had a fall that left him shaken and Sylvia’s mobility slowly began to decline. Day-to-day life became harder, and it was clear they could not keep going on their own.
When Sylvia was approved for a Level 3 Home Care Package, they hoped it would make life easier. Instead, it brought a lot of paperwork, rules, fees, and different providers all saying they could help and it was hard to know where to start. “In the end, we chose a local provider,” George said. “It just felt like the safest option at the time, and I hoped it would be a good, reliable choice for us.”
It didn't take long for the cracks to show. Workers often arrived late and sometimes familiar faces were changed without warning. Just as Sylvia began to feel comfortable with someone, a stranger would show up to their door instead. It made her feel anxious and it frustrated George. “Routine really matters to us” Sylvia would say. After a few months of the same disappointing treatment and watching his wife grow more and more unsettled in her own home, enough was enough. George wanted a provider that respected their time and treated them like people, not just appointments in a diary.
It didn't take long for the cracks to show. Workers often arrived late and sometimes familiar faces were changed without warning. Just as Sylvia began to feel comfortable with someone, a stranger would show up to their door instead. It made her feel anxious and it frustrated George. “Routine really matters at our age” Sylvia would say. After a few months of the same disappointing treatment and watching his wife grow more and more unsettled in her own home, enough was enough. George wanted a provider that respected their time and treated them like people, not just appointments in a diary.
A friend referred them to PlanCare, and when they decided to make the switch, things immediately felt different. Tammy, their Co-Care Partner, took the time to get to know them properly, asked thoughtful questions, and always followed through. “Despite all my questions and concerns, I felt heard and reassured,” George said. “I could genuinely feel the care she had for both me and Sylvia’s well-being.”
Sylvia now receives support with her personal care each morning. Meanwhile George gets a hand with light housework and a reliable lift to his physio appointments. Neither of them takes those small things for granted anymore.
“Every week we see the same familiar faces and having that consistency has brought some routine back into our home. We feel settled again.”
- George
Today, they are still in their own home and still making their own decisions. For George and Sylvia, that sense of independence, backed by support they can actually rely on makes all the difference for them.
