Living

 
 
Patricia’s home in Castlebar
   
  I have always lived in Castlebar with my mother. We always went to church,
  went for walks, visited friends and shopped together. I have family in
  Castlebar and the rest of my family live in different places around Ireland.
  I speak to them on the phone every week, and I regularly see my brother
  and sister in law who live in Castlebar.
 
  My mother was not well two years ago and had to go to hospital and then
  to a Nursing Home. I wanted to stay at home but some people thought I
  should move out to a respite house or group home. I told them this was not
  going to happen. Western Care agreed to send people in to my house
  so I could stay at home. This was a good idea and I have  to thank
  John O’ Dea for that. There are other people in Western Care I have to 
 thank too.  Since then my life changed a lot.

A few Western Care girls come to my home and we still do a lot of the things I did with my mother. We do extra stuff, like eating out, shopping going to TF for dances/music and I’ve had a few weekends away. I visit my mother whenever/how often I want.

My family come and stay for weekends and then the Western Care girls do not have to come around

At first I thought the girls were there to do my cleaning, laundering, cooking any other jobs. I now realise that was a real big mistake because as they remind me daily, they support me to do it myself. That is a big change because my family did it all in the past.

I had a lot of different girls come to me but this got on my nerves with all the coming and going. I asked if this could stop and I agreed with my named staff at the centre the three people I wanted to support me. These three girls are supporting me in the evenings and it’s much better.
 
I have recently got a part-time job in the evenings and the girls come to support me. I get paid for this which means I can do more shopping. That’s another thing, them going on and on about how much shopping I do. “Money doesn’t grow on trees”, they say. Huh!
I go to VTC in the day and help out there. People need help there and I give it especially with the Creative Resources Centre.
 
"They couldn't manage without me and I couldn't manage without them"
 
Ann Neary's Story - A place of my own
 
                                                        "Oh to have a little house,
To own the hearth and stool and all.
The heaped up sods upon the fire,
The pile of turf against the wall."
*An Old Woman of the Roads by Padraic Colum
How are ye doing?
 
  My name is Anne Neary. I moved into my own ‘houseen’ on
  1st October 2007 and it’s the best thing that has ever  
  happened to me.

  I lived with my mother for many years and used to do the ‘jobeens’ around the house like baking, washing spuds and 
sweeping the floors. Outdoors I helped to save the turf and hay, milk the cows, feed the hens (and close
them in at night in case the fox might take them!). When my mother got sick it was no longer possible 
for me to live at home and I had to move.

I lived with a family for a while and then in a group home. Even though people were very nice to me, I always wanted to get a ‘houseen’ for myself! I used to tell people this all the time and they would tell e – ‘yes Anne we will help you’, but it took so long that sometimes I thought they were not listening to me at all.
 
I talked to Dr Lennon myself and Mary in Seaview put my name on a list. Mairin encouraged me to write letters and make phone calls and after a few years I finally got my own ‘houseen’ and I am so happy here.

A lot of planning went into me having my own home, for example: 

-   A ‘circle of support’ was formed that included people who knew me best and who I felt supported me well
    and we met every few weeks. 

-   We would talk about different living options like home sharing; renting an apartment or house privately; 
     St Vincent De Paul Housing in my old community; or a Council house.

-   Safety concerns were identified about me living alone and my personal risk management plan was 
    updated and new practices added to it to help me prepare for living alone. I also learned new skills.

-   Home alone sessions started off with me being alone for 20 minutes and then building up to longer periods 
    alone.

-   Early in the summer my luck stuck when I was granted a council house in Newport. With my 
    ‘circle of support’ key times of the day were identified when I might need support – like around medication
     needs; using a cooker and intimate care needs.

-   A health and safety assessment was conducted on my new house to ensure my safety, security and 
    well being.

-   I was supported to get financial benefits relevant to my status and age for example Rent Allowance, 
    ESB/Telephone allowance, and electrical household equipment and furniture.

-   My support team helped me to purchase things for my new house, some of them the same as I had 
    gotten used to in the group home. For example a kettle with a red light when it is on.

I have never spent a night alone and wanted the comfort of staff supporting me for a while – but how could I be supported at no extra cost? The phrase ‘location…location...location’ is so true. I was lucky enough to have a group home close by which had two sleeping staff, and one of the staff is sleeping in my house for a while until I am comfortable being alone. I can come and go as I want, have Midwest Radio on as loud as I want, make my breakfast when I please, and dress or not dress my bed. I can now do all the little things that are important to you all in your own homes, they are also important to me. I’m robbed buying all kinds of ‘artifacts’ for my ‘houseen’ but I love it all. I would like to thank a few people who helped me to get, and move into my ‘houseen’. Mairin McGee, Mary Cox, Marie Redmond, Michael Kneafsey, Anne Chambers, Sibheal Nic Ginnea , Ursula Murphy and all the staff at Barrick Hill. Thanks to all who have learnt about me as an individual person and supported and respected my personal choice and helped me to reach the goal that was so important to me. Thanks guys!! 
  
Agnes and Bridget - a successful outcome

Agnes and Bridget are twin sisters who now have their own house in Castlebar. Agnes and Bridget lived in a group home for seven years. They moved from there to a rented apartment where they lived for three years. Agnes said that rent money was "money down the drain" and they decided they would like to buy a house of their own. With support from their social worker and community facilitators, they approached estate agents and looked at several houses in the Castlebar area. Agnes said that she and Bridget knew when they saw this house that it was the right one for them!

They were a bit overwhelmed by all the paperwork they had to fill out for the mortgage, but it was all worth it as they are now paying less per month on the mortgage than when they were renting.

Agnes and Bridget are very appreciative of all the help in purchasing the house, as well as all the ongoing support they receive. Agnes pointed out that it was as a result of this support that they were able to purchase their own house.




For further details of how we support people in this way please see our Services & Supports section