Living Well in North Yorkshire

Gill cares for her husband, Simon, who had a major stroke after developing Lyme’s disease. She provides daily support including:

• getting Simon washed and dressed
• preparing his meals
• running the household
• running their business which they used to manage together

Although they have adjusted to their new roles, this has affected Simon’s mental health and has caused Gill stress.

Gill has a good caring routine for Simon and is able to find time for herself going to the gym every morning before Simon wakes up. She also relies on residential respite care a few times a year so she can have a proper rest.

Support provided by Living Well 

After Gill contacted us, Living Well provided the following support:

• applied for a carer’s grant for £200 so Gill could continue to access her gym – this is an important part of her self-care to enable her to continue in her carer’s role
• signposted them to a range of services and groups to help with Simon’s mental health and to provide social support for the couple - this included Carers Plus groups, Age UK Independent Living services, Home from Hospital, NHS Better Health and fitness studio
• helped with finding another respite provider after their provider withdrew their service. As well as providing Gill with an online carer’s directory, we helped Gill to make phone calls to check providers’ availability. We also referred Simon for a Care Act assessment to reflect the changes in his needs over the last few years and to provide an up-to-date support plan for a new provider
• checked that Gill had a registered Carer’s emergency card and talked about her contingency plans if she was unable to care for Simon

Gill now feels more supported and this has had a big impact on her emotional wellbeing. She is now aware she can contact the service again if her circumstances change to gain access to more advice.

Chris is a 29 year old with autism who wanted to find a job.

Support provided by Living Well 

Living Well referred Chris to a number of organisations, including:

• Route One to Wellness for music, singing and coaching lessons – they worked on his body language, voice control and anxiety
• links to casting agencies for extras and voice work, as well as online resources to develop his acting and presentation skills

As a result, Chris has become more self-confident, learnt how to get to places independently on public transport, and has become more patient. He has secured many interesting minor acting roles and one prominent character role, as well as streamlining video music and voice content online. This work has enabled him to buy gifts for family and friends, and has made him happier and more confident.

Jenny was referred to Living Well for support with her finances by her doctor. She works part time but is struggling to make her wages last. This has caused her to get into debt, with people now chasing her for money. This is causing Jenny stress and anxiety. She also has back problems as her bed is broken. 

Support provided by Living Well 

Living Well provided the following support:

• referred Jenny to our Income maximisation team to see if there were any relevant benefits she could receive
• introduced Jenny to Resurrected Bites, a community group that helps with food poverty – Jenny now does her weekly shopping through them which greatly reduces the cost of her food bill
• referred her to Christians Against Poverty who helped her consolidate the debt into affordable monthly amounts. They also became the first point of contact for companies who Jenny owed money to so that it took pressure away from her
• helped Jenny get a new bed through the North Yorkshire Local Assistance Fund
• introduced her to stress management and self care day courses

As a result of this support, Jenny now feels less stressed and more in control of her life.