People we work with
Profile on Ralph
Ralph, who is 46, moved into a Voyage service after it became impossible for him to continue living with his family. Ralph had suffered a brain haemorrhage four years earlier which had left him with left side hemi paresis, mild sexual dis-inhibition and impaired working memory and planning and organising skills.
Ralph was pleased to move into the service and wanted to increase his independence, with the long term goal of moving into his own home in the local area.
Ralph’s transition went smoothly, helped by the continued involvement of his local day centre and his family. One of Ralph’s main goals was to lose weight, as his current weight of 22 st was affecting his mobility. Ralph met with a dietician and was supported to attend the local weight watchers group, where he subsequently lost over two and a half stone. Following advice from a Neuro-Physiotherapist and a structured physiotherapy routine, Ralph went from struggling to take a few steps to being able, with the aid of a stick, to walk around the service and down to the local shops. This was a huge personal achievement for Ralph and helped him realise that supported living was a real possibility.
To prepare him for this change it was evident that Ralph would need to work on his organisation and planning skills. This was done on a functional basis so that the skills could be transferred into daily life. To monitor his improvement, Ralph was set detailed goals about shopping, budgeting and cooking. These goals were spread over a three month period; Ralph’s first goal was to plan one meal a week and by the time he moved on he was planning a weekly menu and food shop and cooking all meals for himself and any of his visitors.
Ralph participated in regular arts and crafts sessions and had work exhibited at a local Art Gallery. He enjoyed visits to the cinema and regular day trips to different parts of the country, including attending the Headway National Conference in London.
Ralph spent 18 months at the service before moving into his own bungalow with a domiciliary care package. This clearly shows how much more independent he has become.
The individual's name has been changed to protect their privacy.