Susan is a young lady who lives at home with her parents. She suffers from a rare genetic condition that causes brain damage.
Susan’s condition can mean that she becomes agitated and displays challenging behaviours. These behaviours range from hair pulling, pushing, shouting, kicking, kneeing, biting, self-injury and placing herself on the floor.
We provide a 24-hour care package with two Healthcare Assistants to meet Susan’s clinical, personal and social care needs. Susan’s condition is progressive and degenerative which affects her ability to meet her own activities of daily living. Susan requires support with eating and drinking, communication, movement and transition, skin integrity, elimination, behaviour support, seizure management, personal care and medication administration.
Susan also has Type 1 diabetes, which is unstable and erratic and she has a Dexcom machine in place which continuously monitors her blood sugar levels.
We started looking after Susan back in 2016, she had an existing team in place but the package of care had broken down and Susan’s Mum had requested a new provider.
Some of Susan’s team were eligible to transfer across via TUPE, which meant that she had some familiar faces as part of her care team whilst transitioning across to the Apollo Home Healthcare team. We also recruited new staff to form part of Susan’s regular care team.
Susan has complex clinical and behavioural needs so her care team require specialist training to support her.
We worked with a challenging behaviour training provider to build a bespoke training course for all of the existing and new care staff to attend. We have continued to further develop this training over the time we have supported Susan and our Clinical Nurse Specialist has worked with Susan’s Specialist to further develop training that is focused around Susan’s triggers. This ensures all care staff know how to manage these episodes safely and effectively.
Susan’s care team support her with all aspects of her clinical care, as well as encouraging social engagement and activities. Susan is able to go into the community with two care staff with her and the appropriate risk assessments in place.
She now attends a local youth club where she socialises with people of her own age.
Susan also enjoys sensory play, crafts and visiting the swimming pool.
