Patient R

We have known this man, who is now fifty-two years old, since his first admission to us in 1997. He is originally from Hawaii but was studying in England when he suffered a serious head injury that left him with a frontal lobe syndrome. As a consequence his behaviour, mood and intellectual ability had been badly affected. He had coped reasonably well in Charfield Court, until his health began to deteriorate. For some reason he developed heart failure and was admitted to hospital. He was discharged back to the flat but even with support from us and other agencies remained too ill and required another hospital admission. We felt that he could not go back to the flat after that and brought him to Wytham Hall. His heart failure gradually improved and his medication was adjusted. His mental state became clearer and his urinary incontinence ceased. He put weight back on and eventually was almost back to his old self. However, we felt that he was too dependent to safely survive at the flat. He was therefore referred to residential care and subsequently moved to the country where he still remains, although reportedly he misses the excitement of the city.