Roger is in his seventies and has been a wheelchair user for some time due to having a leg amputation in the past. Roger then had a stroke which caused reduced mobility in his right arm and verbal communication difficulties. His recovery from the stroke was slow in the early months and he moved into a care home about a year ago as a result.

Roger was referred to POhWER for advocacy support during a review of his care and support plan. Jo, a POhWER Care Act Advocate, was allocated to support Roger.

Roger had an occupational therapy assessment, and their findings clearly stated that the care home he was living in was unsuitable for his needs. The staff in the care home were not skilled in encouraging and increasing his independence or communication.

On Jo’s first meeting with Roger at the care home, he was disengaged and appeared unable to communicate. After a few visits his mood changed, and he worked hard to communicate with her and express his experience of being in the home. 

Jo contacted a local stroke charity for advice and tools to improve her ability to understand him and increase his confidence and trust. They provided some communication aides to make it easier for Roger to express himself. Jo and Roger used these and worked together to establish regular, honest and transparent communication. Roger made it clear that he wanted to return home. Jo was able to convey what courses of action were available to Roger and together they developed an advocacy plan.

Roger told Jo about his career as a police officer and his time in the RAF. He told her that he wished to be supported to be clean shaven again as he had never had a beard before being placed in the care home. Jo conveyed Roger’s request to the staff, and this was achieved. Roger also told Jo that he was frustrated that the staff who supported him did not acknowledge him when they came into his room, Jo spoke with staff regarding this issue and shared the local stroke charity’s advice and communication aides with them. 

Roger also felt that not having access to his own money meant that he couldn’t make his own choices and have any independence. Jo spoke to care home staff to understand why no efforts were being made to encourage independence in budgeting. Jo contacted the person who had been appointed to look after Roger’s finances and passed on Roger’s wishes. Roger’s bank card was reinstated and returned to him. The staff also arranged regular budgeting activities with Roger. Roger’s identity, confidence and self-esteem increased with access to his finances, and support from the care home staff to be more independent and have more choice and control. Creating hope and a future focus helped Roger to sustain his mental health. 

After this, Roger got in contact with his family, he is a proud man and had reduced contact stating that he would resume these relationships when he returned home. He did not wish to be seen by his family in a care home. 

Jo contacted an RAF veterans charity for information about their befriending service and to see if any other support could be offered while he was in the care home and when he returned home. Roger was able to access their telephone befriending service. 

Jo found that Roger’s social worker was convinced that he lacked capacity to choose where he should be living. The social worker had not tried to find ways to communicate with Roger and this led to their false assumptions around his capacity and ability to recover his life and return home. Jo supported Roger to challenge this at every opportunity. A Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards request, prompted by the social worker, was denied and Roger’s mental capacity to choose where he should be living was reviewed independently and Roger was found to have capacity.

Roger made a courageous choice to take action and return home independently with a package of care in place. He has now reconnected with his family and he is also accessing support to continue to increase his independence and communication.

Jo’s support enabled Roger to understand and assert his rights, and his wishes to interact with those around him, and find a means of communicating that suited him.  This has led to a more independent way of life for him in his own home, and a reconnection with his family.