An empowering new approach to home care is helping a Tameside woman who is disabled remain at home and active in her community thanks to support she’s receiving.
Sam Hurst, 35, from Hyde, has Cerebral Palsy and Spina Bifida and has been using Tameside Council’s new Living Well at Home initiative.
Sam said: “I had a social worker from Tameside Council who spoke to me about putting some care and support in place for me. Rachael from Direct Care comes to see me quite a lot to see how things are going and talk about more than just my day-to-day care to see if there is anything else she can support me to do.”
Each day Sam’s carers help her get up and ready for the day and once a week they make it more of a pamper morning.
Before she started receiving support at home, Sam’s grandmother found it difficult to get her ready for school and college. This was due to problems with her Nan’s back and hips.
The support has given Sam the opportunity to get to meetings, events and parties at the Direct Care offices and Hyde Town Hall, where Sam can meet people in a similar situation to her.
She said: “My carers are more like my family; they sit down and chat about their day and what they’ve been up to. I’ve had the same main carers for 18 years. I can talk to my carers about anything.”
Sam started playing the ball game boccia when she was 11-years-old and was soon competing in tournaments. By the age of 13 she had become the youngest ever North West Champion at the time.
With support from her carers, Sam’s now looking to set up her own boccia group at a venue in Tameside.
The Living Well at Home service is focussed on an individual’s needs and will improve the quality of care for Tameside residents who require support to stay in their house.
This is part of a wider initiative taking place in Greater Manchester to transform how care services are delivered across the region.
Home care isn’t just about support within the house, it can be empowering to individuals as carers can help them become active in their community and help prevent isolation.
This type of home care can support individuals in living at home instead of moving to a residential or nursing home.
The Living Well at Home approach uses self-care, new technology, community support and the help of friends and family to ensure people can be empowered by services available in their local community.
