Evan has a very close relationship with his mum who wanted Evan to live with her forever. However, Evan’s needs were growing and coming to a point where a move to a residential home was inevitable and imminent. The thought of Evan leaving the home for good was the cause of great anxiety.
“I’ve never wanted Evan to go to a residential home; I wanted him to stay with me forever, so I knew he was ok and being cared for properly, while also living a good life. But when we were shown around this home, I got excited about the prospect of how life could be for Evan without me and was really shocked that it actually looked like what I would want for him,” shared Evan’s mum.
The residential home in Brighton & Hove is a small and family-orientated. It supports people with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities (PMLD). The home is buzzing with bespoke activities where people supported are encouraged to take the lead to have a meaningful life, whilst having fun and being brave.
The planning prior to the move identified three initial challenges Evan would experience, that needed extra support and consideration in order to move stress free into his new home. These were focussed on Evan’s sleeping pattern, meal times, and mood swings. which if not supported well, could result in frustration and angry outbursts. It is important in a PMLD service to have physical interaction in order to build trust, and a sense of security, something the highly trained team are keen to achieve and support through every physical transition.
Achieve together’s Covid-19 Executive team supported the home through a robust risk assessment and facilitated Evan’s visit to the service. Taking place over a 3-week period and on scheduled days, Evan met with his new peers, allowing him to get a feel for his environment.
Whilst this was all happening, consistent communication with mum was vital, and included responding to every query and concern, supporting and providing her with all the reassurance she also needed. The team also sent Evan’s mum their Covid-19 video, a fun, short-film which the service created during lockdown, which was helpful and uplifting, especially after an emotional transitional meeting.
Whilst the transition took place, Evan’s room was decorated to reflect his personality. This included new beddings, furniture, as well as a huge mirror – as Evan loves to see himself and enjoy his own cheeky smile!
On the day of Evan’s move, they held a small welcoming party for Evan and the family. The Home Manager said, “Evan’s first night was successful – he slept well, enjoyed his breakfast and has been interacting happily with his new peers ever since he moved in. Evan has become the new ‘member of the family’, fitting in perfectly! Throughout his transition period, Evan met all the team members, but was purposely designated two members of the team to take the lead in familiarising him with his new surroundings.”
Team members continue to communicate with Evan’s mum twice weekly via video calls, and mum and friends visit Evan on a regular basis.
Mum said, “Every time I see Evan, or he FaceTime’s me, he always looks so happy. Definitely happier than he was at home. Please say thank you to everybody for making my boy so happy, his happiness means the world to me.”
The Home Manager concluded, “We still continue to learn new things about Evan. We have good days and not so good days, but mum has always been there to support us. We are looking forward for many more years of memories with Evan!”
At Achieve together, we support a number of people with PMLD within specially-adapted services with access to proactive and forward-thinking specialist clinical teams. Find out more about the PMLD support we offer here.
Learn about our core and essential service standards for supporting people with PMLD which was co-produced by Michael Fullerton, Director of Health and Wellbeing at Achieve together.
