Last week, Sue went downstairs for the first time in over a year.
This was thanks to the incredible group effort of our live-in care support team, builders, social workers and more, to install a lift in her home.
Sue, who has an acquired brain injury as a result of an accident during childhood, has been receiving live-in care support from us since March 2020. During this time, she has been assisted by care worker, Gina.
Having previously been in a care home, the 24-hour home care support meant that Sue could return to her family home and surround herself with her memories and personal possessions.
Although assistive measures had been put in place to support her living at home, it soon became apparent that the existing stair lift was unsafe for her level of need.
Sara Gardner, the Field Care Supervisor who supports Sue and Gina, was instrumental in getting the new lift installed. She explained:
After a short time it became unsafe to use the stair lift, so we requested the Occupational Health Therapist help us in putting in a lift.
With the risk of Sue going down the stairs being too high, she became confined to the upper level of the house, where her bedroom and equipment were already set up.
The long wait for a lift
The need for a lift was confirmed by the Occupational Health Therapist’s assessment, but it would be a long process to see it come to fruition. This was also held up by the Covid-19 lockdowns, which saw all building work cease.
While the nation was restricted to their homes, Sue was left unable to go downstairs within her own home, or sit out in her garden. This would be the case for a year and 7 months.
When work finally started, the whole process was managed by Sara and supported by Gina, who served as a voice for Sue and was always on hand to oversee visits and meetings.
Gina was the one to make sure everything went smoothly. She was the one there for visits from the occupational health therapist, social workers and builders, just to name a few. She managed the whole thing really well and was at the forefront of it all, providing us with feedback from Sue.
Gina is not just there to provide personal care. She is also a companion to Sue, and supports her to live as independently as possible.
By overseeing the building of the lift and conveying Sue’s preferences to all parties, Gina helped Sue to have a say in increasing her own independence and remaining comfortable throughout the process. Gina explains;
For me it wasn’t just excitement, it was hard work. On top of my daily tasks I had to keep Sue safe, out of the dust and mess during assignment, keep her entertained to not get stressed of the noise.
Gina knew however, that all this added responsibility would be worth it on that first morning when the lift was complete, and Sue could go downstairs once more.
An uplifting new chapter for Sue
After a year and 7 months of being confined upstairs, Sue finally stepped into her new lift this week. Gina described that first morning;
All I can say is that I have never seen her so happy. She had a big smile on her face from the moment I hoist her on the wheelchair and I’ve told her that is time to go downstairs. She was making jokes and we all laughed.
Seeing the downstairs of her family home once more, she was confronted by all the possessions and spaces she had missed. This brought back many mixed emotions for her.
As Gina sent pictures of Sue using the lift to the live-in care team, all felt a sense of achievement and joy at this long held hope finally being made a reality. Speaking on behalf of the whole south West live-in care team, Sara adds;
This has been a year in the planning and working together with Sue and other care professionals. At last this has been achieved and it is truly wonderful, though a little overwhelming for us at the moment.
A day after first using the lift, Gina sent the live-in team photos of Sue out and about in her local town. This was a stark reminder that it was not just the downstairs of her home that Sue was experiencing for the first time in over a year, it was the outside world too.
Together, Sue and Gina enjoyed coffee and cake before shopping and feeding the birds.
Fully managed care support
None of this would have been possible without the fully managed service provided by our live-in care team. Sue not only receives one to one, 24-hour care support from Gina, but also benefits from a team of care professionals at her local live-in care office.
Her field care supervisor, Sara, is always available to ensure she has a care worker in place, for example when Gina is away, and helps to facilitate Sue’s independence.
This is a truly wonderful achievement of the care worker and all professionals involved. We have worked hard to get to this day and I hope it will bring much joy and happiness now for Sue to start her journey in his new chapter.
Learn more about how our fully managed live-in care service can help you by calling us today.