In spring 2016, an elderly man in Providence Hospital’s Orthopaedic and Amputee Rehab program on A5 was nearing the end of his rehab and was ready to return to his home in New York City.

While visiting Canada in the fall of 2015, he succumbed to an illness requiring hospitalization. After several months in acute care, he was admitted to Providence for rehabilitation. During his stay, he made it clear he wanted to return home to spend his remaining days in the city he knew and loved. Unfortunately, he was unable travel on his own and he had limited social supports to help transition him home safely.

Without hesitation, A5 staff began to brainstorm a way for this man to return home. The patient had not been home in many months, so it was imperative that his expired travel documents, home setting and medical appointments were arranged ahead of time. Social Worker Lishan Baileyegn spearheaded much of the brainstorming and advocating for this patient’s rights and Social Worker Magda Doran aided in the delivery.

We were then asked to accompany the patient home. For the patient, the idea caused him to be unsettled. He felt it was “a whole lot of fuss, for nothing,” but, once we landed in New York, his outlook changed.

When we arrived at his apartment, we found it in poor condition and not safe for the patient to live in. So, in true Providence fashion, we advocated on his behalf to ensure repairs were done immediately and that he had a safe place to stay until completion.

On our last day over lunch, the patient had a huge smile on his face. He let us know that he was grateful to be home and for all that the care team had done to make it possible. Most of all, he was excited that he had flown with Porter Airlines… something he had always dreamed of!

We were happy to be able to make his dream a reality and relieved to see him flourishing back in his home environment.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this possible and for ensuring the best care for this patient.

About the Writers: Shannon is the Interim Professional Practice Leader for Nursing and Viani is the Nursing Professional Practice Consultant for Geriatric and Medical Rehab.