How high staffing levels meet complex needs
In 2015, Neil was in a road traffic accident and sustained a traumatic brain injury.
However, it soon became clear the setting wasn’t equipped to deal with his complex needs which include a secondary diagnosis of epilepsy and a tracheostomy, PEG feeding tube and urethral catheter.
To get the right support, Neil moved to Yarningdale and into the care of Exemplar Health Care’s in-house team and wider clinical experts.
An individual support plan for person-centred care
Before Neil arrived at Yarningdale, our team’s thorough assessment of his complex holistic needs covered 16 areas of care.
Through this, we discovered he found communication difficult and was sometimes verbally aggressive. His mood was low and, on several occasions, he said he wanted to end his life.
The Yarningdale team created person-centred care plans to cover Neil’s emotional, social and psychological needs alongside his physical health care.
They aimed to maximise Neil’s independence and life skills.
Once his confidence had grown, he took on the Service User Ambassador role for Yarningdale.
In this role, Neil develops skills and builds relationships. He meets with the Service User Council every two months, acting on behalf of other residents.
The council takes part in a range of projects, from reviewing service user policies to helping develop Sheffield Hallam’s Advanced Practitioner curriculum and presenting our annual Values Awards.
Improving quality of life with unique experiences
Through the care and support of the Yarningdale team and Neil’s own determination, he’s become the life and soul of the home.
He now has two volunteer jobs – tuck shop stocktaker and shop assistant – and most days he’s ready to take part in activities, including trips out to go bowling, shopping and to the cinema. Plus, he’s always ready to jump on the karaoke machine!
Thanks to our high staffing levels, our team were also able to come together to give Neil “the best day of [my] life” – visiting Emirates Stadium to see his favourite football team, Arsenal FC, play.
Following their win, the club invited Neil into the players’ lounge to meet the team.
“I love living at Yarningdale. The staff get my sense of humour, and I can have a laugh with them. I’ve made many friends here and I really enjoy the activities.”
Developing life skills and future goals
When we first met Neil, he was struggling to find reasons to continue living. Yet now, he’s looking forward to a brighter future.
After telling us he’d like to learn to read and write again, he now attends regular literacy classes in the home.
He’s relearnt the alphabet and has been practising his writing.