Fred Combridge House, Victoria

Reuniting residents with their loved ones

Fred Combridge House, a Churches of Christ Community Care home in Victoria, received a Better Practice in Aged Care Award for an innovative program that works towards reuniting residents with their loved ones, both in Australia and overseas.

Resident Dimi had fled Bulgaria in 1946 after the country came under Soviet control. He was the eldest son of a prominent Bulgarian politician who opposed the Russian regime. He was told to leave the country or he would be killed. He had assumed that his family was killed after he left for Australia.

The home's Unit manager wrote a letter to the family name and sent it to the village where Dimi was born and grew up. Ten days later a phone reply came from his family - his three brothers were still alive, they had given up looking for him thinking he was dead. When Dimi heard his brother's voice on the phone he cried (and so did most of the staff). Even today many staff cry when talking about Dimi's story - tears of joy.

The Unit Manager accompanied Dimi home. "The happiness showed when he was able to sit and talk with his countrymen and relatives was astonishing for me. It was a lesson in how important family and your language is when you grow older," she said.

Almost a year later, Dimi is still living in Bulgaria with his family.

In 2004, a resident was discharged to Greece to be with her family.

In 2005, a resident was discharged to a low care facility to be with her sister.

In 1999, two residents went home, one to live with her daughter. The other wanted to go home to die. Six weeks after returning home, she died surrounded by family in a nursing home in South Africa.

In 1998, 2004, 2005 and 2006, residents were discharged to live at home with their families in Melbourne.

The home is active in listening to residents and supporting their wishes.