Accompanying on appointments

When Jenny called to ask about help with hospital visits, the team recognised a familiar story. 

She was finding it harder to get the two buses needed to get to hospital and was always worried that she’d arrive late. Family had suggested taking a taxi but she she felt unsure about unfamiliar drivers and was anxious about calling another to get home again after her visit.

After years of going to appointments with her husband, his ill health meant that she now had to go alone. Worried that she might forget to ask the questions she had, or what the Dr advised, the whole process had become very stressful and she’d even cancelled a couple of appointments as she just felt too overwhelmed.

We were delighted to explain how we could help. We could accompany Jenny to her hospital appointments and remove any worries. With a dedicated team member, she’d always know who was taking her, they’d pick her up from her home and even stay with her for the visit if she wanted.

With Liz collecting her and taking her right to the door, often attending the appointments with her as a second pair of ears to take notes and then driving her straight home afterwards, the stress and worry soon became a thing of the past.

With no family nearby and finding it harder to get out and about, Sue had started to feel a bit lonely and lose her confidence. With no specific medical needs, she didn’t need a carer and her family really weren’t sure how to help. Having looked at lots of unsuitable options, they had been really concerned before they found out about Viva Assist from the Wellbeing Coordinator at her GP practice.

Reassured that we always carry out DBS checks on all their team, and never send someone that Sue wouldn’t be happy to welcome into her  house, her family were able to address all her worries about accepting help.

Sue had heard stories about agencies sending a different person every visit but we reassured her that she would have her own dedicated team member. Sue could also tell that the team really love their jobs and offer a very personal service that other companies just can’t match – we are proud to have built up some wonderful friendships with their clients over the years.

Starting with a cup of tea and a shared love of jigsaws, Sue soon regained enough confidence to plan trips to the theatre and cinema with Caroline, and her family were delighted to see her regain her old spark.

Helping with shopping and errands

When Peter needed a little help with shopping, he considered supermarket deliveries but with a minimum spend that was above his budget each time, it just didn’t make financial sense. He also wanted to carry on using some of the small shops he’d visited for years but just couldn’t manage the walk and then carry the shopping home. Having recently given up his car, he faced a problem that many of our clients recognise.

Our solution was a weekly visit from Maddie, who was able to run exactly the errands he required – whether it was popping into the greengrocers for one item, picking up a packet of his favourite mints at the newsagent or queuing in the post office to send a parcel. For bigger purchases such as a new washing machine, he was able to accompany Maddie to the shops – picked up at the door and accompanied all the way through the buying process, he found it a wonderful help.

Having worried that accepting help was the start of losing his independence, Peter found that his fears had been misguided. Making the routine day to day chores a bit easier had actually given him more energy and time for the things he enjoyed such as gardening and seeing friends.

When a new job meant long hours at work and extensive travel abroad, Chris was worried about how he’d still support his elderly mother. Although she was fiercely independent, he made sure he called or popped in every few days to see that she was ok and pick up any errands.

Given the nature of his contact, he really didn’t want to have to employ an expensive personal assistant for his mother and was amazed at how impersonal some care agencies were, offering no guarantee that the same person would visit each time. He was therefore delighted to learn that we could offer exactly the kind of bespoke and flexible help he needed. From calling his mother to have a friendly chat through to arranging to pick up her prescriptions, we could step in and offer a friendly face and support when he couldn’t be there himself.

Reassured that his mother would be checked on and able to have a friendly chat with her dedicated team member when he couldn’t call, he was able to relax and concentrate on his new job. Something his Mum was very pleased about – as she loved to tell Rosey each call. That little extra help meant that everyone was more than happy.

*All of these scenarios are based on real clients and the type of work we love providing, but names and facts have been changed to protect the privacy of our clients.