Care Journey
Beginning
Lorraine was born with cerebral palsy and an independent streak, Lorraine strived to live independently 12 years ago. Lorraine required the support of domiciliary hourly visits to help her achieve her daily activities. Whilst this enabled her to live alone it did not give her the freedom she desired. The restrictions of waiting home for the visits that came between a 2 hour time frame meant that she spent most of her day…waiting…
Lorraine hated ‘living by the clock’; only being able to do things when the Domicilary Care service visited. This meant that she never had the choice to do what she wanted to do when she needed to. in her words ‘I lived like an animal… except animals are free to go to the toilet when they want.’
Working together
Lorraine admits, ‘I was petrified at first,’ because she couldn’t trust others caring for her. Consequently, she felt that she could only feel secure around her parents, so the idea of having to trust a stranger with her care was naturally daunting for both her and her family.
Ranger Home Care worked with her and her family to alleviate her fears. Building a relationship between Lorraine and us was integral to us getting to know each other and building trust. Constant communication between us and Lorraine meant we were able to evolve her care plan to suit her and ensure that she could dictate her own life. Working with Lorraine to ensure that the live-in carer worked with her, the way she wanted to work. By giving her a voice to say how she felt, she no longer felt ‘anxious’. An example of this is when she received a new carer within 48 hours of deciding to change carer. This allowed her to feel and be in control for the first time. In addition, she found that Ranger Home Care’s commitment to informing clients about changes ‘reduced (her) anxiety’ because she was given insight into her own future, unlike before.
Lorraine now has a lead carer, Bart they have formed an excellent working relationship and friendship. She describes Bart, as ‘trustworthy’ and ‘unique.’ Bart’s uniqueness, Lorraine believes, is simply because, unlike her previous carers from social services, he doesn’t treat her like a ‘baby, number or a job.’ His dependability and consideration for Lorraine has not only allowed her to live her own life but has also allowed for her family to feel less responsible for their daughter’s. As a result of this, the time that Lorraine spends with her friends and family is more enjoyable for all parties as they can relax more around Lorraine, knowing that she is in Bart’s, Ranger Home Care’s safe hands.
Achieving her goals
Quotes by Lorraine
‘Bart actually wants to be here.’
‘It’s like I’m part of the Ranger Home Care family; I can speak openly to them when I want.’
‘When Bart is around, my friends and family can relax.’
‘I don’t want to live a life centred around my care.’
‘Bart really cares about me. Care is his passion. I feel valued as a person.’
Thank you
Ranger Home Care thank Lorraine for sharing her story and agreeing to be photographed.
