The same four walls, just the same four walls. Imagine being a prisoner in your own home due to your health. Not just the physical side of being uneasy on your feet but the mental side of disorientation and confusion and if that wasn’t enough a lack of a real social network to be able to be social with.
We try to give our clients a positive environment but when we are not there the client can sometime lose that reminder that life isn’t as bad as it may feel. It then becomes too easy to turn to drink, gambling and other possibly unhealthy activities. These means that they struggle to pay bills or struggle to access activities with members of team, there is only a certain amount of times that you can keep walking around the park or doing free activities. However sometimes clients can blow us away with how well they can do and this client is one of them. They have managed their lifestyle so well that they are far more financially stable than they have been for a number of years. They can afford days out, motivation for anyone who needs it, and they can afford to tackle the challenges of the kettle blowing etc – some people can’t function without their morning brew.
Our client wanted to go somewhere different and see something different to the four walls that surround them and with a bit of planning etc we were able to help them. “Seeing the client in a different, and calming, environment was so much reward for me” Said the client’s lead support worker. “I love my job but sometimes it can be difficult and on days like this it can feel like I have magic powers. It may sound daft but for the clients we can make such a huge impact and you feel overwhelmed with joy because of the joy you can give someone”.
A whole day walking along the sea front, fish and chips near the beach and a bit of shopping for a stick of rock. A small list of things that many of us will do every year but for some people, like our clients, these things are done so far and few between that they feel like a big kid on their first trip to the seaside.
