Brian’s story
bpha customer Brian* moved into his home in the 1990s.
After injuring his back while in the army, Brian lost a leg in his twenties, so mobility was challenging. This, combined with his love for reading (up to six books a day!) meant he rarely went out and became isolated. He didn’t want regular contact with – or help from – people.
Steve, one of our Tenancy Sustainment Officers, whose role it is to offer support to someone who could be at risk of losing their tenancy, got to know Brian:
“Brian had created his own world in his flat, only venturing out for food. Belongings had started to build up around him, including over 4000 books - and looking after himself hadn’t been a priority. He had a lot of possessions, and I was initially able to help with clearing and cleaning.”
Brian’s finances hadn’t been looked at in some time, so our Money Advice Team was able to help, ensuring he was receiving the benefits he was entitled to.
bpha Money Advisor Michael: “It’s not always easy to open up to someone about your finances but doing so can be a big step towards being ok.”
By now Brian was willing to move to one of bpha’s Independent Living schemes where he would have access to both a care team and a community.
Our Scheme Manager continues the story: “Brian was really positive about moving in but I knew the care team would have to work well with Brian to integrate him because it would be such a huge change for him.
*not his real name
“He built a good relationship with his care worker, who he eventually trusted to help sort out his belongings and store his beloved books on a new shelf that she sourced for him. Brian now engages with all of us and looks forward to the care team visiting.”
We have Independent Living schemes in Bedfordshire, Oxfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire and Suffolk, with different levels of care available to suit your needs, or to enable you to have your own front door and live independently in a welcoming community. If you would like to find out more about our schemes, please call 0330 100 0272 or email info@bpha.org.uk.
You can find out more about our Tenancy Sustainment service here, by speaking with your Housing Officer, or by emailing TenancySustainment@bpha.org.uk.
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