Introducing Geoff
Geoff is 40 years old and had been assessed as requiring 4 calls per day, to help him remember medication and mealtimes and to check on his wellbeing.
Geoff has some issues with mental health, including ADHD, which means he finds it difficult to organise his time for daily tasks and personal care. He has also been diagnosed with arthritis, which has caused difficulty with mobility around the home, including in the bathroom. Geoff has medication for diabetes and was dependent on care visits to remind him to take it.
Geoff shares a home with his partner, who found the frequency of care visits intrusive.
How has Geoff benefited from reablement?
Geoff was referred to the START team from one of the community hubs, to boost his motivation after his recent arthritis diagnosis. The team made use of the tools and framework developed in partnership with PwC to make a clear plan that was suited to his needs.
Sharon Thomas was his senior reablement practitioner, and she began by asking his GP for a review of his medication, to make sure that his needs were still being met and that he wasn’t taking anything that he no longer needed to.
Sharon also made an assessment of his home and was able to prescribe and order a shower chair and meal trolley to make it easier for Geoff to take care of himself.
Geoff was given a Genie Connect, an assistive technology device connected to the virtual care delivery team at Shropshire Council for regular wellbeing video calls. The device was also programmed to give regular reminders for medication, mealtimes, personal care tasks and appointments, helping Geoff to organise his time and remember his care needs.
Over time, Geoff’s in-person care visits were gradually reduced and eventually replaced with virtual care calls. This is less intrusive for Geoff and his partner and has freed up their time to enjoy spending time together and going out for walks during the day.
What has been the outcome?
Geoff has become much more independent, is getting more exercise and enjoying more social interaction – he has even been along to support his favourite football team after Sharon was able to get him tickets to a game. His health, wellbeing and relationships have improved as a result of his new-found independence.
Sharon Thomas, senior reablement practitioner said:-
“Geoff was a perfect candidate for reablement and the aim to help him become more independent was clear from the start. At only 40 years old, there was a risk that many more decades of Geoff’s life would be spent indoors, dependent on restrictive and expensive care that limited his ability to be active and sociable. Instead, with intervention that focused on independence, Geoff has boosted his physical and mental health and his future is looking much brighter.”
Geoff said:-
“Sharon Thomas has been life changing for me very professional and seemed to know exactly what I needed to help me with my recovery and independence on a scale of one to ten I would put eleven out of ten every time she has been amazing. I can't thank your team enough."