People we work with
Profile on Mark
Mark, 51, moved into one of our services in November 2009. He had been taken to hospital by his brother a few months before, suffering from memory loss and severe disorientation. Mark had a long history of excessive alcohol consumption, had been made redundant from his job, and was estranged from his family. He had been living alone and not taking care of himself.
Mark was diagnosed with Korsikoff’s syndrome, which is most commonly caused by prolonged alcohol misuse. Following an assessment, it was agreed that he should move to a Voyage service. Transition work took place before the move, including staff visiting the hospital and Mark visiting the service. Initially, we focussed on supporting Mark to develop insight into his condition, as he found it difficult to understand why he was not moving back to his flat. The symptoms of Korsikoff’s syndrome include short term memory loss, and difficulty storing and retrieving new memories. Mark did not realise the impact this may have on his daily life until he started to do everyday tasks again; he would forget what he had already done, would often forget to eat, and was overly cautious when he was cooking.
We gave Mark a diary to complete so he could keep track of his daily tasks and activities, but due to confabulations (false memories which seemed as real to Mark as things that had actually happened) he struggled to accurately record his days. We gave Mark more structure to his day so he could use his diary at regular times, which were listed on a whiteboard in his room, along with the date and which staff members were on duty. Weekly planners were drawn up with Mark, documenting all his appointments and planned activities; these were verbally and visually reinforced with him throughout the day. As Mark began to use his diary more independently, we purchased a smaller diary to allow him to instantly record important facts and maintain a factual timeline of his days.
This led to an emotional roller coaster for Mark, who has had to deal with difficult things that have happened in his life as if they were new information, at the same time as coming to terms with the impact of his illness and the role his excessive drinking has played in it.
Mark’s first instinct when times were tough was to turn to alcohol, and a big part of his rehabilitation has been for finding new ways to cope with his ongoing challenges.
With staff initiation and support, Mark started attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. He now goes three times a week and says they are a very powerful support. Mark has not had a drink during his stay at the service.
Mark’s long term goal is to live independently. He has worked with an occupational therapist to develop his existing life skills and relearn additional ones. Mark has problems with initiation and sequence following, which was demonstrated by his caution when cooking. He has started working on a cooking portfolio, which has visual and written prompts for each step involved in preparing his favourite meals; as a result he has been able to produce meals for himself and other people at the service without direct support from staff.
Mark is now able to take part in volunteer work refurbishing furniture for a local animal rescue charity, where he is making friends and feels “useful” again, which is something he says he has not felt for a long time.