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Russ Gibson never imagined that leg pain would lead to him being in a wheelchair.

Last September, the healthy 73-year-old felt an odd ache in his legs. After later collapsing on his bathroom floor when his legs gave out beneath him, Russ was admitted to Lakeridge Heath's Oshawa Hospital, where he was diagnosed with Gillian Barre Syndrome (GBS) – a rare disorder where the body's immune system attacks the nerves.

By this time, Russ had lost the ability to walk and was transferred to the Whitby Hospital for rehab. When his condition did not improve, his care team discovered that he was suffering from chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) – a chronic form of GBS.

Hospital care was no longer the best option for Russ, and he was set to be discharged in early December.

"We were both overwhelmed. Russ with the progression of his illness and me with the prospect of being his primary caregiver," said Russ' wife Katrina.

However, a few days before Russ' discharge, the couple learned that they would be enrolled in the Lakeridge Health@Home program.

Launched in the fall of 2020 in partnership with SE Health, a not-for-profit home care provider, the Lakeridge Health@Home program provides patients at risk of becoming alternate level of care (ALC) with comprehensive care from an interdisciplinary team, including nursing, personal support, occupational and physiotherapy, speech therapy and others, specifically tailored around a patient's care needs.

Through the creation of personalized, post-discharge, holistic plans of care, the Program decreases the amount of time patients spend in hospital and ensures their safe transition from hospital to home. These care plans also promote assistance beyond medical care and may include help with community and social connections, meals and housing.

"Within the first two hours after we came home members of the team began to arrive," Katrina explained. "First a personal support worker, then a nurse, and later a therapist to help him with his exercises."

Katrina shared that "everyone worked so hard to resolve any issues we encountered, and the team is like part of the family now."

Russ continues to work hard with the members of his care team and is "determined to be in a walker by springtime. There's no two ways about it."

"The Lakeridge Health@Home program was the very best holiday gift we could have received," added Katrina.