• Date: 26/07/2022

Derbyshire Independent Living Service goes the extra mile for grieving customer Derek

78-year-old Derek was struggling to deal with the loss of his wife. Living in the Derbyshire Dales he didn’t have any close family or friends around him and admitted that he wasn’t coping.

Home Support Specialist Revival first met Derek after fitting a community alarm but it was clear he needed more support to help him live independently at home.

Team Leader Emily Fee explains:

“When we visited Derek at home it was clear he was struggling to cope with the loss of his wife.

“It was having a knock-on effect and he wasn’t managing his bills or opening his mail.

“He’d also been neglecting himself and his health deteriorated as a result.”

The team put a plan in place to help Derek bring life back into his home.

“Initially we looked at Derek’s request for a community alarm, but on a home assessment we could see he needed more.

“We looked to see if he was eligible for any benefits to help him manage his money better.

“We called his GP for a full health assessment and made a referral for him to be seen by occupational therapy too.

“We also called Derbyshire voluntary service who provide a befriending service for people grieving to help him cope better.

Thanks to the support from Revival, Derek is now in a better place.

“We were able to secure Derek an extra £172 a month and are still waiting for further benefits to be confirmed.

“He was given walking stick, a toilet raiser and a perching stool to help him get around at home.

“He’s also attending a group session for grieving families every two weeks.

Although Derek only came to Revival for a community alarm, the team went the extra mile to make sure he had everything he needed to live safely at home.

“Derek only came to Revival for a community alarm but by asking a couple of questions we could see he needed more support.

“We were able to do a full assessment of his needs and he’s now so much happier at home.

“He’s really grateful of the support and told us he’s now getting the support he needs and can face his problems head on knowing he has our support.

Find out more about Revival’s Independent Living Service here: www.thisisrevival.org.uk/our-services/independent-living-service/