- Date: 07/08/2020
Derek* was admitted to hospital after an incident at his home.
Hospital staff raised concerns over Derek’s wellbeing – he was in his 70s, struggling to care for his step mum, who he was living with and showed signs of malnutrition and self-harm. Staff also believed Derek had autism or learning difficulties, which hadn’t been diagnosed previously.
These concerns meant that Derek was unable to return home, so was made homeless. But while he was waiting to leave hospital, COVID-19 caused more lockdown restrictions, meaning more strain on services.
That’s when Revival stepped in. One of our Senior Support Officers met with him and made a referral to the Staffordshire Moorlands Homeless team. Derek was offered an emergency place in a Stoke on Trent guest house.
One of our volunteers helped collect his clothing and essentials from his former address and our support team arranged for someone to do his food shopping and help him access money.
As the hotel was only a temporary solution, the team then set about helping Derek apply for a suitable home. They put him into contact with several housing providers and helped him apply for some ID and a copy of his birth certificate, which he did not have.
Derek was offered a furnished flat in a supported housing project, with onsite support to help him live independently. Once again, the team were on hand to help. They arranged a taxi from the hotel to his new home, sourced some extra furniture for the flat and arranged a mobile phone for Derek, so he could keep in contact with everyone. Revival also made a referral to the Adult Social care team for a full assessment.
Mark Cliffe, Home Support Officer at Revival, said: “It has been a very demanding time for all concerned this last few months, not least our customers.
“The entire team have given their all in ensuring that vulnerable people have not gone unnoticed or unsupported and we are very proud to have supported our NHS and other key partners in these unique times.”
*name changed