- Date: 27/01/2022
Home Support Officer Mark helps customer Lech home from hospital thanks to the kindness of a colleague 
Customer Lech and his wife came to the UK from Poland over 15 years ago. After both working throughout their lives, Lech’s health deteriorated and was admitted to hospital. He was referred to Revival from Royal Stoke Hospital to help him return home safely.
Home Support Officer Mark picked up Lech’s case. “When the team first visited Lech in hospital, they found it difficult to understand each other because of a language barrier,” Mark says. “But luckily, we have several multi-lingual staff at Revival. Polish-speaking Volunteer Officer Sabina gave up some of her own time and volunteered to translate.”
“Together we got to work assessing the issues keeping Lech from feeling his best at home.”
“We discussed the reason for his stay in hospital and discovered he’d had one leg amputated and several toes removed from his other. This made his small two-bed terraced home unfit for his changed needs and his health meant he could no longer work.”
“I completed a home assessment and found there was a large step into the property, a large step down into the toilet and his bedroom was upstairs. All of this would make it impossible for Lech to get around.”
“With the help of Sabina, I helped Lech and his wife to register for more appropriate housing. In the meantime, I also put support in place to help him return home from hospital.”
“After we suggested, friends moved his bed downstairs. To make sure he was safe sleeping downstairs we got the Fire Service to complete a fire safety check and they fitted a smoke detector. We applied for a blue badge so his wife could drive him to medical appointments and helped him make a personal independence payment claim to help pay for the day-to-day now his health had stopped him from working.”
“Once we’d put all the support in place, he told us he was grateful for our help. He’s got a bright outlook for 2022 and is due to move into a new home that is more suited to his needs. He’s worked tirelessly all his life and is determined that with physiotherapy and prosthetics he’ll be able to return.”
“I’m really grateful for Sabina’s help. Without her, I couldn’t have helped Lech and by working together we’ve made a real difference to his life.”
Volunteer Officer Sabina says: “I was more than happy to help. I offered to get involved because adjusting to life changing injuries is stressful enough without the language barrier. I’m just glad that together we’ve been able to help Lech and is looking forward to a brighter future.”
