Published on: 25th November 2022
Karen Lewis, community learning disability nurse in our Bury learning disability team, tells us how her team changed the life of one of the people being supported by them. The name of the gentleman has been anonymised for this public story.
"He’d been known to the team for over ten years. As a consequence of physical and emotional barriers, Richard gained a great deal of weight which meant that, over time, he became unable to leave his home - eventually to the point where he became too anxious to leave his bed.
“After work to help him lose weight, he got to a point where Davina Parry, our occupational therapist, could begin to look at helping him to move safely from his bed and to think about maybe leaving his house.
“He was understandably very anxious about this, the image of himself he had in his head was one larger than he actually was. We all worked with him to help demonstrate that he really had lost weight, could use a wheelchair and could move through his patio doors. We provided visual reassurance that he could achieve his goals to help him realise how much weight he had lost.
“Around this time, he was also given the option of major surgery which would greatly improve his quality of life, but again would mean that he would have to leave his house and have a scan at hospital. His support staff kept him motivated every day to move from his bed to his armchair and eventually his wheelchair, progressing to the point where he went out and joined his neighbours for a street party for the Queen’s Jubilee.
“This was a huge achievement for him, they continued to work towards overcoming his immense anxieties around going to hospital, using regulating activities, easy read documents, and real-life situations to prepare him. On the day of the hospital visit, travelled by tram with Davina and Elsa Jarett, his care worker, and met the consultant and I at the hospital.
“After this success, he began to feel more confident and made more plans to go on activities outside. He’s been to watch rugby at Old Trafford and recently went to a steam train exhibition on the East Lancs Railway.
“Another round of surgery is due next year which will be a big step, with him possibly having to stay in hospital for a few weeks and then more after care following that. His autism means he needs to have control of his environment and routines, for him to have been able to work together with us all over the past 18 months is amazing and such an immense achievement.
“He has developed in problem solving, regulating his emotions and talking about his anxieties and we are hopeful the surgery will be successful, and Richard can go on from strength to strength.