Ruby is a person we support at our enhanced and complex care home, Beechmount. She has a mild learning disability, epilepsy and mental health needs.
While Beechmount is Ruby’s current home, her journey with Voyage Care started back in 2021. At this time, due to increased mental health needs, Ruby’s existing placement with her current care provider broke down, and she needed urgent support. Ruby moved into our crisis, unplanned care accommodation at Ruddington View and here, her story took a positive turn for the future!
Taking positive steps at Ruddington View
After moving quickly into one of our crisis accommodation beds at Ruddington View in Nottinghamshire, our skilled team worked closely to understand Ruby’s needs and how to manage her mental health, so she felt supported and safe. Being understood and connected meant that Ruby’s mental health drastically improved and three months later, she was able to move out of our crisis accommodation and into the main, residential house at Ruddington View.
Moving into the main house at Ruddington View was an incredible step forward for Ruby. As many of us experience with a big life change, Ruby needed reassurance and encouragement to support her in developing a new daily routine. The team worked closely with Ruby to find out what she needed and how to help her move to a more positive place.
Ruby’s severe epilepsy meant she suffered multiple seizures a day, and she required one-to-one support to keep her safe and avoid head injuries. Our team encouraged her to wear a helmet; this was crucial for Ruby’s safety to reduce the risk of injury.
she was originally resistant to eat and lived off coffee and cigarettes, she relied on the team to do her daily tasks and didn’t want to get out of bed or build a healthy routine. They motivated her to do daily activities more, like cleaning her room and cooking. Although reluctant initially, with encouragement Ruby made progress to develop more independent skills.
Ensuring Ruby could maintain her close family relationships, we supported her to spend time with her sister. Despite living in Scotland, our team engaged Ruby in regular video calls with her sister, alongside visits to Scotland whenever possible.
Knowing time with loved ones was so important, and with distance in the way of more frequent family time, the decision was made to support Ruby to make her own move to Scotland. With support services across the country, a room was available at our care home Beechmount in Renfrewshire. After conversations between our Ruddington View and Beechmount teams, Ruby, her family and Social Worker, it was agreed to make Beechmount Ruby’s new home.
Moving to Beechmount
Supported by the Ruddington View team, Ruby’s transition to Beechmount began with a trip to see her sister and a visit to Beechmount at the same time to meet the team and see the home for herself. This ensured Ruby felt safe and confident transitioning to a new home. Ruby then built up to spending a night at Beechmount during the Christmas period and eventually, in January 2022, she moved in!
While Ruby was now only one hour away from her sister, the move was still difficult. Change is hard for many of us, and as the new person in the house, she wasn’t sure if she’d fit in.
Ruby was anxious, and this sometimes came across through challenging behaviour. Moving into a new house with new people was a big challenge for Ruby, but with reassurance, the team helped her to feel secure and settled in her new life at Beechmount. Through steady, person-centred support Ruby’s built trust with her team and has even made friends with the other people we support in the house.
Since being at Beechmount, Ruby has changed drastically! She’s stopped smoking cigarettes and reduced drinking coffee. This has had a positive impact on Ruby’s health and with reduced trips to her local coffee shop, she’s able to better manage her finances, buy things for herself and save for the future.
She’s cooking her own meals and developing independent skills which benefit her health and wellbeing. She gets up every morning, brighter and more alert.
Ruby’s now also become a big part of the community! She makes jewellery and sells it at local markets to raise money for an epilepsy charity… she’s truly living a more positive and fulfilled life.
The surgery that changed her life
In October 2024 Ruby had brain surgery to help with her epilepsy. The recovery journey was a long one, and throughout the process Ruby was supported by her team, hospital staff and Physiotherapist to rebuild her strength and help her become more stable on her feet.
With consistent support, her recovery journey was a huge success! Ruby’s seizures have drastically reduced, from multiple times a day to just two in the past six months!
This is a big step in Ruby’s progress! It has reduced her risk of injury, and she can now work towards not needing the helmet and her medication being reduced.
An Independent future
Ruby is ready to take the next step in her life. She wants to live more independently in supported living and move even closer to her sister.
We’re in the process of building supported living homes in Edinburgh and Ruby already has her eye on one! This would mean Ruby would have her own flat, a lot closer to her sister, while still having the benefit of a specialist support team. This would be a great next step for Ruby and give her the opportunity to carry on the amazing progress she’s made since being with Voyage Care.
Ruby is aware of how far she’s come and she’s extremely proud of herself!
Find out more
To find out more about our enhanced and complex care services fill out our quick form and a member of the team will get back to you.