Donna is regaining her independence

When Donna’s mobility and accessibility needs changed, we at mirus knew that Ashgrove was the perfect fit for her and her new requirements. 

Although Donna was unable to visit Ashgrove before moving in due to Covid restrictions, mirus staff led her on a guided virtual tour of her new home. During the tour Donna spoke to mirus staff and people supported already living at Ashgrove, and had all of her questions answered so that she knew exactly what to expect once she moved in.

From her first day, mirus staff worked with Donna to build positive relationships, which made getting settled in to her new home much easier for Donna. Donna soon felt safe, supported and comfortable to open up about her feelings.

Donna told mirus staff that losing her mobility was one of the hardest challenges that she had ever faced because she felt that she was also losing her independence. Working together with mirus staff, Donna identified lots of opportunities for her to improve and maintain her independence, and do more of the things that she enjoys.

One of the things Donna previously enjoyed was cooking, however she had lost confidence in her abilities as she found it difficult to adapt to preparing and cooking food whilst using a wheelchair. mirus staff knew that this was a great skill to focus on while Donna got used to using her wheelchair. 

We started slowly, with Donna first learning how to move around the kitchen using her wheelchair. Once she realised she could do it, she regained her confidence really quickly. She now cooks several times a week – including Sunday lunch!

Donna also wanted to improve her money management and budgeting skills. Donna’s great computer skills meant that she was able to place online orders, however her brain injury often caused her to forget what she had ordered, leading her to spend money on repeat orders for items she didn’t need. The additional items also meant that her room was cluttered, which made it difficult to access using her wheelchair. 

mirus staff worked together with Donna to find a solution to empower her to declutter her room, budget effectively, and prevent repeat orders again in the future.

Donna was supported to create an inventory of all of her belongings and find suitable places to store each item. By using and updating her new inventory, Donna can now easily see when she already has enough of an item, or when she is running low and needs to order more. Donna now feels much more independent and in control, and loves having more space in her bedroom.