Meg’s story

A complex girl with an acquired brain injury

Background

Meg* is a girl that we have supported since June 2015. At two days old, Meg* had a cardiac arrest and needed to be resuscitated by her Dad for an extended period of time. This resulted in a brain injury due to lack of oxygen which led to a diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy and Epilepsy. Meg* has a gastrostomy and requires regular passive limb physiotherapy. Due to the on-going changes in her condition and her increasing body weight, her seizures are unpredictable and problematic which requires intense emergency rescue medication.

Challenges faced

Meg’s* mum admitted to feeling trapped and like a prisoner in her own home. She had to give up work and adapt to a completely different lifestyle than she was expecting due to the disability of her only child.

Meg* was mum’s focus 100% of the time which created anxieties when Laura, the Paediatric Consultant, realised that she needed some support. She also wanted to maintain as much normality and choice for Meg* as possible.

Laura began to research the benefits of a blended diet via Meg’s* gastrostomy. This created its own issues around processes that Voyage Specialist Healthcare would need to adhere to. In relation to managing this new regime, this was the first time Voyage Specialist Healthcare had been asked to be involved with a blended diet. Overcoming mum’s anxieties and building trust with her team.

How did we help

Following a review with us, consultant and parents, we eventually gained agreement regarding the process of feeding Meg* which all parties approved. From there, we developed a policy and procedure to to support her blended diet. Laura also agreed to become a voice in this matter with other families if requested. We have worked very closely with Mum and Dad to ensure we involve them in all decisions regarding Meg’s* support.

Results

We have a regular team of seven staff who Mum and Dad are confident with. Mum has agreed to an increase Meg’s* support hours from 15 – 50 per week. Meg* also now attends school with us supporting her and Mum is also looking at a ketogenic diet over the coming months.

You can find more about our Nurse-led support offerings here. If you would like to speak to our friendly enquiry team call us on 0800 0353 776 or email referrals@voyagecare.com.

*Some of the details have been changed for confidentiality reasons.

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Autism support

Making big improvements since the autism specialism to Reading services

Sarah, service manager at one of our Reading services, has shared the major improvements they’ve made at the home since implementing the new autism specialism late last year. Our staff have specifically seen positive developments in the lives of the ...

How the autism accreditation journey has changed Zavier’s life
Autism support

How the autism accreditation journey has changed Zavier’s life

Since starting their NAS autism accreditation journey, the team of staff and the people we support at a service in Hampshire have seen dramatic improvements in their daily lives. Here, we share a story of transformation about Zavier*, an autistic ...

First time flyer at Ling Crescent
Autism support

First time flyer at Ling Crescent

Jackie and Helen are two people we support at Ling Crescent in Hampshire, one of our 33 specialist autism services who are currently working towards accreditation by the National Autistic Society. Jackie and Helen were supported by staff to plan ...

Service spotlight: Our Romford Services takes a walk in their residents’ shoes
Care Homes

Service spotlight: Our Romford Services takes a walk in their residents’ shoes

One of our services in Romford is a residential care home that supports 6 people with learning disabilities, many of whom are non-verbal. In 2018, the service celebrated 25 years since opening their doors! The home had been running smoothly ...

Jack’s climbing the ladder to independence
Brain injury rehab

Jack’s climbing the ladder to independence

We began supporting Jack* at one of our specialist brain injury rehabilitation services in the West Midlands, 9 years ago following a brain injury. After years of consistent hard work and determination from both Jack* and his support team, he made ...

Chaos to calm – Tara’s Prader-Willi syndrome story
Prader-Willi syndrome

Chaos to calm – Tara’s Prader-Willi syndrome story

The words “blood test” were whispered between staff at our Uttoxeter services, who were carefully devising a way to make the medical experience less daunting for someone we support, cautious of the impending chaos they had been warned could occur ...

Onwards and upwards for Amy
Support to live at home

Onwards and upwards for Amy

Amy* was happy living at home with her mum but always said that she wanted to live more independently and have more control over her life. So in September 2016, we supported Amy* to make the exciting move from her ...

Evan – Timid to transformed in less than two years!
Prader-Willi syndrome

Evan – Timid to transformed in less than two years!

With a small audience of our staff and other people we support, Evan* tells a funny story in a way that only he can. He throws his head back in a roar of laughter, as do the others, gripped by ...

Ant’s living a better life, thanks to our Scotland services
Autism support

Ant’s living a better life, thanks to our Scotland services

Ant*, who we support in Scotland, was previously supported by another provider up until early 2016 – and since then, there has been a remarkable difference in him, thanks to the staff team at our services. About Ant* Ant* has ...

Rich’s journey to remember
Brain injury rehab

Rich’s journey to remember

Rich* suffered a brain injury in November 2015. It is believed the brain injury was a result of a fall where Rich* banged his head, after taking legal highs. Rich’s* past experiences In the past, Rich* had dealt with homelessness ...

Sascha keeps progressing at Sadlers Place
Nursing care homes

Sascha keeps progressing at Sadlers Place

In 2015, Sascha joined Voyage Care as a support worker at Sadlers Place in Walsall and since then her career has been on the up! “As a Voyage Care employee, I feel I have definitely been given opportunity to progress ...

“In this industry, you are constantly learning”
Staff

“In this industry, you are constantly learning”

I’ve always wanted to work within care. When I completed my GCSE’s, I started a youth training scheme apprenticeship in health and social care whilst working in an EMI nursing home. I have always had a determination to help people ...

This is the most supportive and caring company I have worked for
Staff

This is the most supportive and caring company I have worked for

Beverley Malpass – Regulatory & Registrations Manager I have worked for Voyage Care for over 10 years. This is the most supportive and caring company I have worked for. As well as ensuring the people we support receiving excellent care, ...

It was great to know that someone believed you had the potential
Staff

It was great to know that someone believed you had the potential

Chelsea Hennefer – Quality & Compliance Administrator I began working at Voyage Care in April 2014 in the accounts payable team. I enjoy working for the company, as I believed the company as a whole was providing a really great service ...

Sam is building on his skills for a bright future
Support to live at home

Sam is building on his skills for a bright future

Congratulations are in order for Sam*, who we support in Norfolk, as he is due to gain his level one Construction Certificate. Starting in February 2017, Sam* has developed a mix of skills that will support his progression in the ...

Enabling Harry to venture into the community
Support to live at home

Enabling Harry to venture into the community

Harry* has a learning disability and took a tenancy at one of our supported living properties in Berkshire 18 months ago. For a long period prior to Harry’s* move, he had lost all of his self-confidence. This meant Harry* was ...

Brian is overjoyed to be walking into his new home
Brain injury rehab

Brian is overjoyed to be walking into his new home

Brian*, who lived at one of our homes in Merseyside, acquired his brain injury when he was involved in a road traffic accident in 2004. On first arrival When Brian* first arrived at his residential home, he used a wheelchair ...

Successful transition: supported living in Wolverhampton
Support to live at home

Successful transition: supported living in Wolverhampton

St Brides, our newly acquired supported living property in Wolverhampton, is home to eight people with learning disabilities and behaviours that challenge. Before we took over the home at the end of 2017, it was run by a housing association. ...

Justin moves into his own flat
Brain injury rehab

Justin moves into his own flat

In 2012, Justin* was shot through the head and right eye while serving as a soldier in Afghanistan. He was taken to Kabul for emergency surgery before being flown to a hospital in Birmingham for further treatment. Once Justin* started ...

Kelly’s inspired by our autism specialism
Autism support

Kelly’s inspired by our autism specialism

Kelly Barnard, service manager at one of our services in Scarborough, supports one autistic person with extremely complex needs. After implementing some of our new autism-specific procedures, she is already seeing an improvement in their quality of life. Penny* has very ...

How Michelle found new ways to communicate
Autism support

How Michelle found new ways to communicate

Michelle* lives in one of our homes in Scarborough. She is autistic and has extremely complex needs as she is non-verbal and exhibits challenging behaviours when frustrated, angry or upset. Working with Michelle* Her support workers, led by service manager ...

“We are over the moon with the changes in Samson”
Autism support

“We are over the moon with the changes in Samson”

Samson* is autistic and lives in one of our services in the West Midlands, which is working towards Autism Accreditation from the National Autistic Society. He is a very intelligent man and when frustrated can display dominant, challenging behaviours, especially ...

How Liam’s family was reunited
Brain injury rehab

How Liam’s family was reunited

Liam*, who lives at our one of our homes in Leicester, has made contact with his family in Gambia for the first time in five years, thanks to the determination of his keyworker who tracked down his mother. When Liam* ...

Nathan’s story
Care Homes

Nathan’s story

Nathan*, who lives at one of our homes in Southampton, was reaching a crisis point. He was getting drunk every weekend, refusing to take his medication and had been reported missing to the Police on one occasion. He had made ...

Aiding Connor to live in his own home
Care Homes

Aiding Connor to live in his own home

Connor*, who has learning disabilities, ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and fragile X syndrome, has been supported by Voyage Care since October 2016, after having some problems with his previous healthcare provider. His story He received 14 and a half ...

Transforming Sue’s way of life for the better
Care Homes

Transforming Sue’s way of life for the better

Sue* was diagnosed with learning disabilities along with epilepsy. She grew up living with her mum, dad and brother, Barry. Her auntie Doreen also played a big role in her life. Life was not always easy for Sue’s* parents due ...

Kicking off Tom’s goal out in the community
Care Homes

Kicking off Tom’s goal out in the community

Tom*, who lives in one of our residential care homes in Kent, has learning disabilities and autism. Tom’s* autism results in him liking to have full control over his surroundings. He does not like long activities, car journeys or being ...

How Paul increased his independence
Support to live at home

How Paul increased his independence

Paul* has learning disabilities, autism and complex needs and has lived in various residential homes and hospitals from a young age. Paul* has been with Voyage Care for 15 years, including 10 years in a shared supported living home in ...

Aaron’s story
Care Homes

Aaron’s story

Aaron* currently lives at one of our homes in the North West. He has Korsakoff syndrome and paranoid schizophrenia. Before moving into the home, he had very little communication with members of his family. His relationship with his daughters was ...

Pat’s story
Support to live at home

Pat’s story

Pat* has moderate learning disabilities and a borderline personality disorder. She lives at one of our homes in Yorkshire. Eighteen months ago, Pat* was experiencing considerable anxiety when taking part in activities outside the home. She only wanted to access the ...

Mike’s story

Mike’s story

When Mike* was young, he dived into the sea from the beach and hit a sand bank. The accident left him with a C3 and C4 spinal cord injury and he has a tracheostomy, bowel care routine, is fully vented and ...

Rachel’s story

Rachel’s story

INREACH support for a complex ventilated lady Background Rachel* was a sociable family lady who enjoyed life to the full, before an admission to hospital resulted in a significant change to her life. Widowed with two sons and many grandchildren, ...

Meg’s story

Meg’s story

A complex girl with an acquired brain injury Background Meg* is a girl that we have supported since June 2015. At two days old, Meg* had a cardiac arrest and needed to be resuscitated by her Dad for an extended ...

How Bill’s negative experience ‘evolved’ for the better
Support to live at home

How Bill’s negative experience ‘evolved’ for the better

Bill* has lived in the West Midlands for many years. He has a moderate learning disability and scoliosis of the spine and is very quiet and shy. Due to Bill’s* learning disability, he has very limited communication skills so will ...

Supporting Drew on his adventure holiday
Support to live at home

Supporting Drew on his adventure holiday

Drew* is living in one of our supported living services in Kent. He is non-verbal with a diagnosis of learning disabilities and Cerebral Palsy. He also uses an electric wheelchair to mobilise. Drew’s* self-contained flat is one of six within ...

Martin’s story

Martin’s story

24/7 Complex Child Supported In Challenging Family Environment Background Martin* has been supported by Voyage Specialist Healthcare since July 2016. A number of complications during his birth meant that Martin* was left with cerebral palsy and is now oxygen dependent via ...

A step change in Andy’s recovery
Brain injury rehab

A step change in Andy’s recovery

Hello everyone, Let me tell you a little about myself. My name is Andy* and in 2010 I suffered a left frontal intracranial haemorrhage, which left me with a brain injury. This affected my mobility, speech and memory. I relied ...

Our son, Wil
Autism support

Our son, Wil

Our son Wil* moved into a Voyage Care residential home in Somerset 10 years ago, after finishing his education at a special needs school. At the time, he had developed extremely challenging behaviour, associated with autism, severe learning disabilities and ...

New lease of family life for Valerie
Support to live at home

New lease of family life for Valerie

Valerie* has learning disabilities and had been in care since she was three years old. She transitioned from a hospital environment to living in her own flat for the first time in her life. Valerie* moved to a Voyage Care ...

Aiding Arnie to reduce his anxiety
Autism support

Aiding Arnie to reduce his anxiety

Arnie* is autistic and had high levels of challenging behaviour when he came to live at one of our homes. He displayed violent behaviour and had a very high and loud scream. His attacks involved biting and hitting, harming himself ...

How house rules made a happy home
Care Homes

How house rules made a happy home

Alison* and Lola* shared a house with some other tenants. The household was becoming unhappy, as each tenant believed they did more than others to maintain the home, causing conflicts between them. Staff facilitated a house meeting for Alison*, Lola* ...

Holistic approach stopped Dean’s challenging behaviour
Support to live at home

Holistic approach stopped Dean’s challenging behaviour

Dean* lives in a specialist supported living service. When he moved into his new home from a specialist school placement, Dean* had approximately 47 incidents of challenging behaviour per month which included assaults on others and self-harm. Our support team ...

Ethan gets active at our day centre
Autism support

Ethan gets active at our day centre

Ethan lives with his parents and his younger sister. He has a learning disability and autism. He does not use verbal communication and has high levels of challenging behaviour, including harming himself and others. His parents needed to find activities ...

Moira’s move to supported living
Support to live at home

Moira’s move to supported living

Moira has learning disabilities and had always lived at home with her parents. Her behaviour was becoming increasingly difficult for her parents to cope with, both were now in their 60s. Moira often kicked and hit her mum when she ...

Supporting Peter to overcome alcohol abuse
Brain injury rehab

Supporting Peter to overcome alcohol abuse

Peter has a brain injury due to childhood abuse and he was adopted as a child. He was very close to his adopted mum and dad and they were very involved in his care as an adult. Sadly his adoptive ...

Finding Katie’s culinary flair
Autism support

Finding Katie’s culinary flair

Katie lives with learning disabilities and Asperger’s Syndrome, an autistic spectrum condition. Katie likes to feel in control of her life as much as possible, but she lacked confidence when planning activities. This meant that she did not always have ...

Finding a shared language with Sarah*
Support to live at home

Finding a shared language with Sarah*

Sarah* is a selective mute and has limited methods of communication to express her needs and wishes. This left her feeling very frustrated and before she moved to a Voyage Care service, she was classed as extremely challenging with incidents ...

Getting Danny* ready for college
Care Homes

Getting Danny* ready for college

Danny* is a young man who is supported by Voyage Care in a residential home. He has mild learning disabilities and mental health needs. At his person-centred review Danny* expressed that he would like to attend college, this was fully ...

Murray’s amazing recovery
Brain injury rehab

Murray’s amazing recovery

Murray* was hit by a taxi in 2009 and suffered a brain injury, numerous fractures and internal injuries. His mother was told by hospital doctors that he would probably remain in a vegetative state for the rest of his life. ...

Barry moves back into the community
Support to live at home

Barry moves back into the community

Before Barry’s referral, he had been living in institutional care from a very young age due to his perceived uncontrollable behaviour. Because of this Barry had never been given the opportunity to live in the community and had only ever ...

Rory* gets his first paid job
Autism support

Rory* gets his first paid job

Rory* is one of the people we support in Warwickshire and he has been volunteering at one of our day services for more than three and a half years. The service provides day support to individuals with learning disabilities, autistic ...

“I am very happy living with my friends”
Care Homes

“I am very happy living with my friends”

Jeni* had lived with her parents until she was 47 years old. When her mother was taken ill and went into hospital, her father found it difficult to manage on his own. Jeni* was offered a respite place in a ...

Bike crash left Owen in coma for 8 months

Bike crash left Owen in coma for 8 months

Owen* has made a miraculous recovery after a motor bike accident five years ago. From being in a coma for 8 months and relying on medical machinery to eat and breathe, he is now living back at home and can ...

Alcohol left Kim with brain injury
Brain injury rehab

Alcohol left Kim with brain injury

Kim* was already receiving community support to tackle her alcohol misuse when she was admitted to hospital with encephalopathy. Encephalopathy is a general term describing a disease that affects the function or structure of the brain. Her brain injury made ...

Moving back home after a brain injury
Brain injury rehab

Moving back home after a brain injury

Lucas* suffered a cardiac arrest, which left him with a hypoxic brain injury. This gave him problems with his memory, word-finding skills and sequencing, affecting his ability to complete many daily living tasks and to access the community safely. He ...

Sebastian uses music to tell his story
Brain injury rehab

Sebastian uses music to tell his story

Sebastian* lives at a Voyage Care residential service in Gloucestershire. He has an acquired brain injury following a road traffic accident. As part of his therapy Sebastian* has been making his own music for nearly two years. In one of ...

Joan’s journey
Brain injury rehab

Joan’s journey

Joan’s* goal was to live independently again and return to fitness following a brain injury resulting from a cardiac arrest. With support from Voyage, the neuro-physiotherapist and Joan* planned for her discharge from the outset. Joan’s* outcomes-focused programme of daily ...

Sam made small changes for big results
Support to live at home

Sam made small changes for big results

Sam* had very limited independent living skills and relied heavily on support staff to maintain his home. Without the high level of support Sam was at risk of living in an unsafe home environment as he tended to have a ...

Meeting Tariq’s cultural needs
Autism support

Meeting Tariq’s cultural needs

Tariq* is a practicing Muslim and he has a learning disability and autism. He is currently living in a shared supported living service with other people with similar needs. It was identified during Tariq’s* initial assessment that he required on-going ...

Helping Greg to eat well
Support to live at home

Helping Greg to eat well

Greg* currently lives independently in his own home. Previous to this, Greg* was reliant on staff in most aspects of his life. This included living a safe and healthy lifestyle. Greg* was always offered choices of foods he would like ...

“I love the work I do”
Nursing care homes

“I love the work I do”

In my early 20’s, I worked for a local landscaping company in Scotland. The job was below minimum wage at the time, but the money didn’t bother me. I enjoyed gardening and just wanted to do a job I loved ...

“I would recommend it to anyone”
Staff

“I would recommend it to anyone”

I joined Voyage Care after many years of working for the NHS, I needed a more flexible working life and wanted to work as part of a small team that I could really build a connection with. I tend to ...

Training on the job worked for Linda
Nursing care homes

Training on the job worked for Linda

I started working in care around five years ago, after seeing a close friend struggle to look after her son with mental health issues. I have never done anything like this before, but after doing the research I realised I ...

Helping Dylan to get back on his feet
Brain injury rehab

Helping Dylan to get back on his feet

Dylan* was involved in a high speed collision and sustained a brain injury in his twenties. The accident left him unable to walk or swallow (due to fear of choking) along with a decompressed skull. Dylan* moved into one of ...

Moving on with Voyage Care – Andrea and Riley’s story
Support to live at home

Moving on with Voyage Care – Andrea and Riley’s story

Andrea* and Riley* both wanted to move out of a Voyage Care residential placement in Merseyside to be closer to their families in Cheshire. They decided it was time to find their own rented accommodation to share, but they still ...

Annie’s story
Care Homes

Annie’s story

Annie* came to a Voyage Care service in West London after a difficult start to her life. Emotionally and sexually abused at her family home, Annie was placed in foster care. All went well until her foster mother was taken ...

Olivia and Lisa Blue Hair
Care Homes

Olivia and Lisa Blue Hair

Olivia* moved into a service in Sussex in April 2017. Prior to this she lived at home with her parents and siblings and so it was anticipated by all who knew her that the transition into residential care in her ...

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