Our Independence Service is turning lives around

Our Independence Service does what it says on the tin. Our team of fantastic advisors spend their working week giving support, advice and guidance to customers who need a little bit of help to stay living independently.

We help a range of people, including a 73-year-old gentleman who is supported by our wonderful Independence Advisor, Suzanne.

Our customer lives alone and doesn’t have any family, but up until the coronavirus outbreak, has always seemed happy enough. He has a few friends and busies himself doing favours for neighbours such as picking up newspapers and nipping to the shops.

Just before lockdown, he mentioned to Suzanne that he was worried about coping during quarantine. He said he couldn’t really afford to heat his flat, his fridge/freezer had recently broken and heartbreakingly confessed that he often eats cold beans straight from the tin.

Suzanne got to work immediately and linked in with Oldham Council’s Warm Homes Oldham scheme to sort his heating out. She pointed him in the direction of the Oldham emergency need helpline who sourced him a brand new fridge freezer and made a referral to the Bread and Butter Thing at Barker Street.

What a turnaround! Our customer got in touch with Suzanne last week to say he’s now making a range of different meals and enjoying his food again and that his mental and general health has greatly improved.

A fantastic result. Happy customers = happy First Choice Homes Oldham.

If you or someone you know would benefit from support from our Independence Service, visit www.fcho.co.uk/living-in-your-home/help-in-your-home/support-in-your-home/the-independence-service/ to find out more.