Support service helps Norwich man retain his independence
Our Community Support Volunteers provide a vital service for people who have just left hospital or those that need a bit of extra support at home. In so doing they help people in Norfolk and Waveney retain their independence.
A man from Norwich, who used to be an accountant, has been living with Parkinson’s disease and dementia for the past nine years. He lives alone, but his son, who lives in South Norfolk, and the Norfolk and Waveney Community Support Service (CSS) are helping him stay safe and healthy at home. The support service is a collaboration between Voluntary Norfolk, Age UK Norwich and the British Red Cross who work together to prevent people needing to be admitted to hospital.
The man was referred to CSS by a care coordinator who wanted to make sure he had help with everyday tasks like picking up his medicines. A therapy team was also asked to help him with his balance to prevent him from falling.
How Voluntary Norfolk helped him retain his independence
When a Voluntary Norfolk volunteer first visited him, they saw that while the man was not very stable on his feet and his dementia was advanced, he still liked being independent. He uses a mobility scooter to do his shopping at Tesco every week. His son had already arranged for the man’s prescriptions to be sent to Tesco, where he could easily pick them up while shopping. The man was worried about using his scooter to go uphill to the GP’s office. He also mentioned that his laptop wasn’t working.
The Voluntary Norfolk volunteer talked to his son, who agreed to renew his father’s prescriptions online, since the man had been tricked in online scams before. The son didn’t want his father using the internet anymore. Even though the man enjoyed going to Tesco on his scooter, his son made sure his father’s medication was taken care of.
The volunteer also suggested the man get a personal alarm in case he fell at home. The next week, his son bought the alarm and set it up. The volunteer also provided two walking sticks from the British Red Cross. These helped him move around his home more safely.
Thanks to this support, the man feels safer at home and doesn’t have to worry about his medicines. Even though his health is getting worse, these simple actions have helped him keep his independence and stay out of the hospital.
How you can help people in Norfolk retain their independence
Volunteering is really enjoyable, so many people simply like that it makes them feel good! By volunteering you also get to help your community. Our volunteers always tell us that they find helping people very satisfying.
