BETTER LIVES
Robert: ‘I love
my apartment’
Home comforts
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concerns
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5 8000
020 882
This lovely, tidy flat has quite a story behind it. Because, just a year ago, it looked
very different. An outreach team has helped turn around the life of the tenant,
who used to have a serious hoarding problem. Nargis Ahmad reports.
E
very week, Ealing Council’s
CHOICE outreach service
helps up to 50 people with
learning disabilities. The
service provides them with a wide
variety of support, ranging from help
with arranging to pay bills, to going
shopping; and from taking part in
social activities, to health and fitness.
The team has recently helped to
transform the life of a resident, Robert
Nathan, 72, who lives in Northolt.
When they first met him, Robert was
isolated and needed a lot of support to
overcome his hoarding.
‘HE’S A DIFFERENT PERSON’
Paul Edwards, who works for CHOICE,
said: “I’ve been Robert’s community
support worker for the last four years.
When he was ready for his place to
be cleared, we moved him into a bed
and breakfast for a week and hired two
men to clean the apartment out. We
bought new furniture, such as a fridge,
freezer, bed, and flooring. The whole
twice a week and we go shopping and to
team worked together to help. He’s
the cinema. He helps me to budget and
a different person. Previously he was
organise my life. He orders healthy meals
isolated but he’s much more
for me and I appreciate his help.”
sociable now. Robert’s
needs are still high
LIVING INDEPENDENTLY
but that’s where
Councillor Binda Rai, the
our team comes
council’s cabinet member
in. If he wasn’t
for health and adults’
with us, the costs
services, said: “It is our
to the council and
ambition to support as
for him, would be
many people as possible
Paul from CHOICE visits
much more.
to
live independently
Robert every week
“Robert didn’t have
within the community.
a bank account before.
Through our outreach team,
He was using pre-payment
we are making a very real difference
cards for electricity and gas. By opening
to the quality of lives that people like
a bank account and setting up direct
Robert are able to lead. This outreach
debits, he has saved money.”
work is enabling people to not only
CHOICE also takes Robert on
become more independent in their own
regular trips and days out; he has even
home, but at the same time they are
gone abroad.
also being supported to acquire further
Robert said: “I love my apartment,
skills to support their independence,
it’s nice and clean. I have a cleaner who
such as budgeting, preparing meals and
comes once a week now. I meet Paul
becoming more socially active.”
around ealing April/May 2019
21