The Story So Far

When M came out of hospital her family knew that she would need some support. They had had a bad experience with support previously and were looking for someone who they could trust. M was suffering from anxiety and it was important to have the same person come every day. This continuity has allowed the family to know that she is in safe hands and to know that there is someone there to make sure that she is managing practically and emotionally.

At first, they were unsure as to how much or what sort of support she would need but we soon developed a routine to help her to get back on track.

After a long stay in hospital, many daily tasks seemed overwhelming but having someone with her has enabled her to deal with the practical aspects of living at home such as food shopping, getting prescriptions, the post, changing the bed and some cleaning and decluttering. The family have been grateful to have someone to manage the many medical appointments both in terms of diary management, taking her there and being there for moral support. 

As a qualified Mindfulness trainer, I have introduced various techniques to help to manage anxiety on a daily basis and also when things feel overwhelming. These include basic breathing techniques and also activities like mindful colouring. An awareness of what can cause anxiety and how to deal with it has enabled me to understand when she is more likely to need support and to support her through the more stressful times.

During her time away from home the garden had become very overgrown to the point of being quite unrecognisable. It had seemed like another overwhelming task at first but bit by bit we worked together to get it back under control. 

The weeds were nearly as big as us when we started!

Time spent being active outside is beneficial for everyone’s mental and physical health. It helped to lessen the anxiety while there was a specific task to focus on.

Each week we spent a small amount of time on one aspect of the garden and soon made considerable progress. This was a very rewarding experience for us both and each week the upkeep became more manageable. 

It didn’t take long until we got it all under control and once the weeds were gone we could start planting bulbs and looking towards the future.

It was important for this client to have someone with her for the first few times of getting out and about, but it was more important to have someone there at medical appointments and when contractors or anyone was likely to call at the house. It was essential for the family that they knew that there would be someone reliable and flexible that they could call on to help both with the practicalities of life back at home, but also to be there to help to manage the anxiety.

Having some support has made living independently possible for this client. Now she needs less support and can manage more easily on her own. Daily visits have become weekly but she knows that she can phone any time should she need to change that. The most rewarding part of this work is seeing someone grow in confidence and ability so that they can continue to live independently.