Visiting care

Meet Hannah, a bright and bubbly 27-year-old with a great sense of humour and positive outlook on life. She loves music and was even lucky enough to watch the Rolling Stones live at the London Stadium in 2018! She also lives with cerebral palsy and has done since birth. Since starting care with Helping Hands in March, she describes her experience as “life-changing”.

Hannah attended mainstream school and led an active life just like any other child. Yet in September 2018, Hannah’s condition dramatically changed.

Hannah had her nineteenth operation to remove metal work placed during a reconstruction which was threatening to break through the skin. Unfortunately, she was left with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) in her leg – a chronic pain condition that causes a significant amount of pain that is confined to a specific area.

Dana, an hourly carer from our Tunbridge Wells branch, began visiting Hannah once a week in March 2019 and it has totally transformed Hannah’s life. Instead of only having hospital appointments as a regular means of leaving her house, she now looks forward to Mondays, which is when Dana visits her.

One thing that Hannah requested was for Dana not to wear her uniform when she accompanied her out in the community. She also doesn’t refer to Dana as her carer, but as her personal assistant or PA. It was important to Hannah as a young person that she could feel comfortable with Dana and that she wasn’t being judged.

Hannah says: “Monday is my one day of normality each week and I really look forward to it. Dana and I really like each other and there’s always so much laughter between us!”

Bill was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease six years ago; his loving devoted wife, Mary (pictured), has been his full time carer for all of this time.

In June 2020, Bill was admitted to Burton Queens Hospital and
then transferred to Derby; he was there for five weeks before returning home with Mary in July 2020. Bill worked hard with the physiotherapist, but due to medication complications, unfortunately, Bill had a relapse and was re-admitted to Derby Royal Hospital in September 2020. The relapse affected Bill considerably, and he was very poorly; the hospital even at one point discussed residential care for Bill as his needs had become far greater than they felt Mary could manage.

As Bill’s condition got progressively worse, Mary reluctantly accepted that she needed support with Bill, and this is where Helping Hands stepped in. In April 2021, Helping Hands went out to see Mary and Bill and agreed on a care package. With the support of Helping Hands and Mary, Bill is now mobilising much better and is now looking at increasing the care from one call a day, to two. Mary and Bill have forged a strong bond with the carers, particularly Hayley, who has been with them both from the beginning and has seen the fantastic progress Bill has made.