A little helping hand

Making a difference is a huge part of what we do, one of our Care Assistants emailed this story to us about one of our customers. It was so heart warming, we just had to share it!

In May 2020, we introduced one of our Care Assistants, Wanda J, to a new customer, who is blind. Our customer (PT) was bedbound when we began the care unless someone was there to guide her. This was after she had relative independence living in her previous home where she moved around unaided; she had lived there for over 60 years. The move and lack of autonomy had affected PT's mental wellbeing, Wanda J said.

Wanda J asked if PT wanted to learn to navigate her bungalow, seeing how low PT was. She agreed she would like to give it a try, as she told Wanda J she will be "stuck in this bed now until I die".

Although fairly slow to start with, the progress has been remarkable. Wanda J said, "it has been so lovely seeing the progress she has made and her confidence building every week, and of course, the look of joy on her face each time she achieved something new."

She kept her activities a secret from her son until Christmas, where she showed him what she has learnt and could do. She told him to stay still and not to say a word, and she practised in front of him and did it perfectly. He was so proud of his mother and was speechless by her determination.

After Christmas, Wanda J told us the story and said, "I am just so pleased that I could be part of this and help make her life seem so much more than just laying in bed and being trapped. PT now called it 'our achievement', so I'm really proud."

PT didn't want to tell the other carers to start with, so she would pretend she couldn't do it because she wanted her son to be the first to know what she could do. PT can now get out of bed, turn her radiator on and off, go to the dining table to eat dinner, use the bathroom, and go back to bed all completely on her own. It's just incredible!