Alan’s a key part of the household

Alan, who has a learning disability and is now in his sixties, had lived with his mother for most of his life. When she died a few years ago, Alan stayed at home, supported by twice-daily visits from a local support provider.

But one day Alan had a serious accident. He poured a kettle of boiling water over himself, leading to severe burns. He was afraid of people in uniform, so he didn’t call the emergency services. Only when his carer visited him the next day was he taken to hospital.

Alan spent the next eight months in hospital having his injuries treated. When his treatment finished, there were no suitable places available for him to live locally. He was moved into a dementia care home, despite not having dementia.

In the care home, Alan regressed. He fell several times, and suffered from disturbed sleep. In this new environment, he needed 24-hour support.

Outgoing

Then a place became available at an Affinity Trust service close to where Alan had lived. He visited it every day, but it wasn’t right for him: the other people supported by the service were too quiet. So his support team worked with Alan to enable him to move into a new home, where the people were more active and outgoing.

Straight away, Alan responded more positively. Within a day of moving in, he took a shower – something he has done every day since then. Not only does he now take more pride in his appearance; he loves being in the kitchen, helps prepare meals and, calculator in hand, joins the staff when they’re helping him with his finances.

The staff read Alan’s reports, but didn’t jump to conclusions. They empowered Alan: instead of preventing him being in the kitchen, they bought him a small kettle so he could make his own tea while using his walking frame. They explained the routine of the house to him.

Alan’s support plan is reviewed monthly rather than every six months, allowing our support to stay flexible, so that Alan progresses as quickly as he can.

Since moving to this service, Alan hasn’t asked to go home once. He is now a key part of the household. His support team are helping Alan clear his debts and ensure he gets involved in as many activities as possible, both at home and in the community.

“Alan loves getting involved in arts and crafts with the rest of the house and even has some banter with one of our staff team who shares Alan’s passion for football. He’ll show the score on his fingers when they come on shift the next day. It’s just so great to see him communicating in this way and his cheeky personality shining through” – Alex Hill, Support Manager