Paul, a retired police officer, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2019. “I know now that he was experiencing early signs of having Parkinson’s before he was diagnosed,” says his wife, Elizabeth, “but he kept those symptoms to himself.”
Paul admits, “I didn’t want to let the symptoms affect my life, and I worked a lot of days I should have taken off sick. I kept working. And after I retired, Elizabeth and I did a lot of travelling.”
“It got harder and harder,” Elizabeth confesses, but Paul was always up for travelling. As his Parkinson’s disease progressed, though, taking care of Paul was becoming more difficult.”
On February 15, 2025, Paul was admitted to St. Joseph’s Health Centre (SJHC) with a small bowel obstruction related to his Parkinson’s disease. The obstruction was successfully treated using a non-surgical procedure by the healthcare team at SJHC.
After his treatment, Paul required rehabilitation and was admitted to the Toronto Grace Health Centre on February 27, 2025. He received rehab three days a week, but Elizabeth was concerned that this was not enough and asked if Paul could receive more treatment. The healthcare and rehab team accommodated Elizabeth’s request and added exercises to his rehab routine.
While Paul was in rehab, Elizabeth confided to a social worker at the Grace that she was finding it more and more difficult to care for Paul. The social worker reached out to Ontario Health atHome to facilitate the provision of personal support workers (PSWs) to help with Paul’s care when he returned home. They help Elizabeth get Paul washed and dressed every morning and help him get ready for bed in the evenings. The Grace’s social worker and rehab team also helped Elizabeth arrange for Paul to get a wheelchair as well as an electric hospital bed and mattress for the home.
Before Paul returned home in July 2025, Elizabeth told the Grace’s healthcare team that she would require a procedure for her essential tremor in August. An essential tremor is a common neurological disorder that causes involuntary, rhythmic shaking, most often in the hands, legs, head, and voice. She was to be treated with a high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), a minimally invasive procedure. Elizabeth was told she would require a week of rest after her treatment.
She needed someone to take over care of Paul during her recovery time.
The social worker at the Grace helped Elizabeth organize respite care for Paul on the Grace’s Palliative Care Unit. Respite care provides primary caregivers who are temporarily unable to provide care because of medical or personal reasons with short-term relief from the daily demands of looking after a family member with chronic or terminal illness.
Paul was admitted to the Grace’s Palliative Care Unit in early August 2025. The nursing staff helped Paul with his activities of daily living; as well, an occupational therapist worked with Paul, helping him maintain his mobility. When, in February 2026, Elizabeth required another HIFU procedure, the Grace’s respite program once again provided Paul with respite care while Elizabeth recovered.
Elizabeth says, “I think the staff at the Grace really care. The work they do every day is not fun for them; it’s a hard job yet they remain positive.”
Paul adds, “I was amazed and have a lot of respect for the nursing staff and the rehab team. There was lots of good humour — it made things flow a little easier. They made you feel at home.”