Yvonne’s Story – Looks Like We Made It
We at Alcedo Care think that enhancing lives, promoting independence, and emphasising the importance of the present are all important. We had the great pleasure of helping one of our clients, Yvonne, by offering care and support so she could attend a concert by one of her favourite musicians who was touring the nation.
Yvonne has been receiving care from Alcedo Care since June 2021. Following an operation that had uncovered some undiagnosed cancers, Yvonne needed specialist complex home care for Parenteral Nutrition.
“I had to use something called TPN at night which was a type of feed given to me overnight from a specialized unit and was connected to me by a specialist team of nurses based in Manchester using a pump attached to a syringe that was put in place by surgery. They would come at night to connect it then again in the early morning to disconnect. This was my only source of food for 12 months.”
“What you have to bear in mind is that I went into hospital for a simple op and came out with a life-ending disease. I didn’t need help with any of my daily living skills, but now I found I couldn’t even dress myself…”
A team from Alcedo Care came to visit Yvonne in hospital and they hit it off right away!
“The Alcedo girls were wonderful, they built my confidence in them without being condescending and I got confidence in return to help me deal with my ‘condition’ I had an allocated team whom I had to learn to trust and have confidence in. They made it easy for me to transcend into my new life. I had, and still have, carers four times a day and one overnight all night…the office is available to me should I need assistance at any other times which again is an example of their commitment to their clients and the constant support they offer.”
Alongside her care visits, Yvonne would have a “social visit” for two hours each Sunday, where she had a set carer who would help Yvonne with things like filing or planning to go to shows locally. To us social visits are just as important as delivering personal or clinical care – developing relationships is one of our company values, and stories like Yvonne’s show how precious the bond built between carers and clients can be!
Could It Be Magic?
“I have been a Barry Manilow fan for almost 45 years and he announced he was coming over to the UK for a short tour of seven dates in several different parts of the country. Well, no way was I missing that!
So when the tickets came out for sale, I got two for every venue as I knew I would have to have someone with me as I wouldn’t be able to manage alone.
I told my carer what I was intending to do and asked her if she would consider accompanying me if Alcedo would agree. Fortunately for me, they both said yes!
So the planning began….
Tickets first – Tick!
Hotels next – Tick!
Trains last… Nightmare!”
With venues including Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff, Leeds, Glasgow and London, lots of careful planning was needed to ensure accessibility in all areas, venues, hotels and trains.
The morning of the trip arrived…
“The hairdresser came and got us ‘beautified’ and off we went in a specially adapted taxi to Blackpool North Station.
Can I just say, that I have NEVER seen ANYONE with such a large amount of luggage as Fran for a 10-day trip. Shoes… my god! How many pairs of shoes can you wear in a day Fran?!
What I have omitted to say is our first day was the first day of THAT train strike!!!! Grrr… and it followed us for the whole of the trip! Which was a trial in itself!
We arrived in Manchester, got to the hotel, and who should have been there outside and said hello to us but Barry’s band and singers!
We went into the hotel and the first person we saw was my friend who now lives in LA with one of Barry’s band so it was nice to see them….
Then we bumped into Carla, my friend from Holland – I think my carer was shocked at how many people I knew and the countries they were from!
Eventually, we booked in and went to our room to rest then got ready…”
“The time had come….Off we set to the arena…Thousands of people all there to see ‘Baz’…hundreds coming up and saying “hello” in passing…..
What an atmosphere!….We were in our place…Waiting for the opening beats to start…
The first beat struck and the roof lifted off with the noise of anticipation!!!!!!
And then… there he was! stood in front of us, acknowledging the crowds’ noise and appreciation of him!
… and WOW! What a show!”
“Alcedo Made It Happen For Me”
“With regard to Alcedo staff, my carer was the perfect choice to go with me.
“She worked extremely hard the whole time we were away…whereas at home I have two carers each shift (apart from the overnight) she did it all by herself with a smile on her face and quite willingly but most of all professionally and with great care. Nothing less than I have learnt to expect from all the carers of Alcedo Care!….
We had a lot of laughs and memories that we can cherish forever.”
“Without Alcedo I could never have gone on that tour and it kept me going for many months (and still does if truth be known!) So, back to Alcedo Care, I would never have believed I would ever get to see Barry again but Alcedo made it happen for me.”
“So, if you have a dream or something on a ‘bucket list’ don’t give up on them, join Alcedo Care and see what they can do for you I’m sure they’ll try their best for you.
If it can be done they’ll have a good try at doing it with you both professionally and with care….
And oh yeah… don’t tell anyone, but Barry is coming back in May ’24 – watch this space…”
Could we make it happen for you?
We provide clients with care and support at home and in the community across the North of England and North Wales. Contact your local branch to discuss how we could help you!
Are you a caring and compassionate individual interested in making a difference to people like Yvonne? Check out our latest jobs to start your care career with us!
