Lorraine’s story

Lorraine begun her career in care aged 19 and since then, has specialised in caring for adults with profound and multiple learning disabilities and has also become an experienced dementia practitioner. Her role as an assistant home manager was rewarding and Lorraine worked hard to achieve a positive work life balance and raise her son as a single parent. Shortly after Lorraine began a new role as a staff nurse at her local hospital, she had a very unsteady gait and her colleague advised her to get an MRI scan on the top floor of the hospital they both worked in. Lorraine was diagnosed with a grade 2 meningioma and had to spend 7 months in a hospital bed after her surgery. Lorraine was discharged from hospital last year, leaving her in a powered wheelchair with very limited movement on her left side.

Her world was turned upside down, as was her son’s. At eighteen, Lorraine’s son became her main carer and left school to help with household jobs.  Lorraine has not been able to get up the stairs in her house since last year and as such, has been sleeping in her living room. With ongoing rehabilitation, Lorraine’s medical consultant advocated every effort is made to make adaptations to Lorraine’s home to improve the chances of her living independently in the long term. Lorraine was awarded a disability facilities grant to help pay towards home adaptations which would include the installation of a floor lift, a door opening system and low level access shower. However, the works were going to cost near to £35,000 and Lorraine still needed to raise another £2,500 to get the work done.

We awarded Lorraine the full amount she needed for the home adaptations to be made and were committed to helping Lorraine transform her home into a place where she could comfortably live, while supporting her on her path towards more independent living. When we got in contact with Lorraine to let her know about the grant award she explained to us the following:

“Adapting my home will provide me with shower I can wash myself in privately, a kitchen I can start cooking with my son in, and a place to sleep that isn’t a loaned hospital bed. For me, to do things for myself is the most important thing in the world and adapting our home so I can begin doing this will literally change our lives.”

What was most important for Lorraine, was that the home adaptations would mean that her son would be relieved from some of the caring duties and that he was feeling positive about starting a local college in September.  Lorraine is going to be moving into his old room once the floor lift has been installed and is looking forward to listening to her son practicing his guitar when he comes home each day after college.

Our confidential grants service is here to help you on your rainy day by preventing you from facing financial hardship alone.

If you have worked in care sector and are experiencing financial hardship brought upon by an unexpected or sudden drop in income, ill health, injury, bereavement, changes in living circumstances or a relationship breakdown then we may be able to offer you support.

Please visit our grants page to find out more and apply.