Caretech Community Services – Danzey Green

He said her name and a sentence for the first time in years

On a recent visit to Danzey Green the Manager told me how one service user has spoken a complete sentence for the first time in years. She described how it may appear rude to visitors when the staff don’t jump up and fetch things for him. He used to point to a banana and say “nana”.  Staff would then get him one.  Now they nod and confirm that it’s a banana and eventually, after 20 minutes he will get himself a banana. She described how she asked the individual to close the blinds. He said her name and a sentence for the first time in years, “Actually Jackie, I don’t think I can, can you do it?” Jackie feels that the training has changed the way that staff work, doing things with and not for, identifying tasks that people can do and giving all or part of the task to them.

We have a gentleman who has lived at Danzey Green for 19 years.  He is a very capable man but did not always apply his skills to do things around the home and a lot of the previous staff would intercept what he wished to do and even do things for him. The staff attended the ARC training last year and since then the Assistant Manager has put several things in place to enhance the person’s life – here are just a few of the things that have been done:

  • DR would always wait to be asked to have his shower and the staff would go and assist with the personal care now DR will get up and go and shower himself without staff assistance so he chooses when to do this himself with no prompts at all.  DR also showers now on own with no assistance needed.
  • DR will now, without prompting, come and wash up the dishes as and when he wishes to do so.
  • DR will now come and get the vacuum and vacuum the lounge without being asked to do so.
  • DR will mop his bedroom floor.
  • DR now will get up and help himself to things out of the fridge without waiting for someone to do this for him.
  • DRs conversation skills have improved, he will now openly say good morning and good night without any prompting.
  • DR contributes to the running of his own home now and he generally appears much happier and confident.

The Assistant Manager is now working with DR to make his own drinks and to get his own drinks when he wishes to do so without any prompts.

Victoria O’Meara

Caretech