‘I was in a bad place…but the right care helped me become independent again’

Stephen has a history of alcohol use disorder, which resulted in organ failure and symptoms of psychosis and antisocial behaviour. After five months in hospital, Stephen moved to Lakeview, a specialist care home owned by Exemplar Health Care. Now, with the support of the Lakeview team, Stephen has moved back home and is thriving in his life. 

In this case study, he talks about life at Lakeview and how the team supported him to regain his independence and transition back home

Stephen has a long history of alcohol use disorder. When he was admitted to hospital, he had organ failure and showed symptoms of psychosis and antisocial behaviour. Whilst in hospital, he lost the ability to walk and take care of his own personal hygiene. 

Stephen had a delayed discharge of over 100 days as no other care services would place him due to his complex care needs and behaviours of concern.  

With 1:1 support from the care team and input from the life skills team at Lakeview, Stephen regained his independence and rebuilt his mobility. 

After five months at Lakeview, Stephen moved back into his own flat with reduced support from domiciliary carers. 

Specialist care from a trained team 

When Stephen first moved to Lakeview, he was assessed as needing 1:1 care. 

He was unable to maintain his own personal hygiene and had little interest in engaging with others. He also displayed complex behaviours of concern including psychosis and hallucinations. 

High staffing levels enabled Stephen to progress at his own pace and build trust with the care team. 

Stephen built a great relationship with the staff at Lakeview, who got to know him well and learned how to manage his emotional needs. This allowed Stephen to feel safe and able to continue with his hobbies.

After just a few months, Stephen was independent in most aspects of his care and he no longer needed 1:1 support. His personality came to life and he would often socialise with staff and other residents. 

During his time at Lakeview, the number of incidents of behaviours of concern reduced dramatically – during his last month at Lakeview, there were no incidents. 

Rebuilding mobility 

At Lakeview, the team supported Stephen to rebuild his mobility. These sessions improved his lower body strength and range of movement. 

Stephen’s movement and mobility improved significantly since moving to Lakeview. 

He progressed from requiring a wheelchair to using a walking frame to get around the home. 

Developing life skills 

At Lakeview, the team encouraged Stephen to develop his life skills and build his independence. 

He had regular sessions with the in-house Life Skills Team at Lakeview. 

These sessions focused on improving his independent living skills and social integration. 

In them, Stephen worked on preparing food, increasing independence with personal care, accessing the community, building self-esteem and managing his emotions through sensory/self-soothing work. 

Returning home 

Within the five months of living at Lakeview, the progress that Stephen made was remarkable to point that his Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards were rescinded and he was able to return to his own flat with reduced support from domiciliary carers. 

The team supported him throughout this transition, arranging for his flat to be redecorated and ensuring that he had all of the relevant support in place. 

Hear from Stephen

“The staff at Lakeview are brilliant! I was in a bad place when I moved here, but they’ve helped me to become independent again. 

“When I first moved here I couldn’t walk or take care of myself, and now look at me! 

“I do most things for myself with a little bit of support from the carers. 

“I like that they’re always here if I need them. We have a good laugh together and they’re great company. 

“I’m a different person now compared to five months ago, and that’s thanks to the team here. 

“I’m looking forward to moving into my own flat but will really miss the team here. I’ll definitely come back and visit!” 

About Exemplar Health Care 

Exemplar Health Care is a leading provider of specialist nursing care for adults living with complex needs. 

We have over 35 specialist care homes across England. 

Visit our website to find out more: www.exemplarhc.com