When Rose’s family contacted us, Rose had just returned home after a spell in hospital. She was in poor health and her family really didn’t want to place her in a care home. After extensive research, a friend recommended Independent People Live in Care and after seeing profiles of 4 different Live-in Carers, they chose Andrea as she loved swimming which is their mum’s favourite hobby.
Although dizzy and still slightly confused when she returned home from hospital and heavily reliant on her walking frame, Rose still managed to maintain her wry sense of wit and made light remarks. ‘It is comfortable but it’s very difficult to get out of’ was the closest she came to complaining about her situation. Rose considered herself lucky, surrounded by the love of her two daughters who wanted the best for her. Both Rose and they believed she could get much better. So did we.
At first, with simple exercises recommended by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, Rose and her Live-in carer Andrea worked on getting her legs stronger. Whilst sitting in the chair, Andrea encouraged Rose to work on lower limb strength every day. It didn’t take long before getting up was a whole lot easier. With more time and more exercises Rose came along even more. With close supervision and expert support Rose eventually didn’t need her frame at all.
As Rose increased her walking distance as the days went passed she began to think about returning to a favourite hobby – swimming! Rose and her carer Andrea now swim quite often in the small pool Rose thinks she is lucky enough to have at her home. More time has since passed and Rose met another challenge. She is now walking up and down stairs again, with close support of course. Her next goal is to move her bed back upstairs and we can see no reason why this can’t happen in the very near future.
With Andrea, her Live in Carer and our expert guidance, there is no doubt that Rose is a much more independent person. She feels in charge of her life and still enjoys living at home instead, much more than the care home that she originally thought she would have to go too.
There is always a choice. Rose chose Live-in care and independence. You can too.