Roy’s rehabilitation success

Roy had recently come to the area from London to be closer to his daughter and was looking for a new home. On Christmas Day 2019, he suffered a stroke which put him in hospital and left him with limited mobility.

Roy explains: “I’d never been in hospital in my life before, then I ended up on the stroke ward.”  

He had also been recently diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which causes breathing difficulties. 

Roy came to Care for Veterans in February 2020, just before the first Covid lockdown. One year and one month later, he left the Worthing-based charity to live independently in a supported living apartment not far away in Worthing town centre. 

He gets his own breakfast and dinner, with his main meal provided at lunchtime by the in-house catering. 

Roy, past resident at Care for Veterans, said: “There’s no doubt that I needed the time at Care for Veterans to recover from my stroke. I wouldn’t have been able to come home straight after leaving the hospital. I saw a lot of people worse off than me on the stroke ward, so I feel very lucky. I enjoyed the physiotherapy with Emma three times a week, and I liked the carers; they were all very good. 

I’m really pleased that I’ve found this place, it’s a nice flat, and it’s very quiet, which is great! The people are good, and my daughter comes over several times a week and takes me out. I like to sit outside with a cup of tea and watch the squirrels and foxes.”

Lead Physiotherapist at Care for Veterans, Emma Curtis, worked with Roy three times a week during physiotherapy sessions. She said: “Roy is a very independent man, and the sudden decline in his health was quite a shock. He would say, ‘All I wanted was my own place; how did this happen?’ He really wanted to get back to the point before his stroke where he was going to find a nice place to live near his daughter. 

“At Care for Veterans, we work with an individual to understand what they want to achieve then set realistic goals. For Roy, this meant working on ways he could live independently again and assessing how he progressed. It involved building up the strength to allow him to transfer from his bed to his wheelchair safely. We also worked on his balance and cardio. 

“When Roy was looking at places to live, we went with him to assess whether they would be suitable for his needs. I am so thrilled that we were able to help Roy get what he wanted, and it is lovely to see how well he is doing in his new home.”

Care for Veterans provides residential nursing care, rehabilitation, respite and end-of-life care for anyone over 18 who has served in the armed forces and their families. The charity must raise over £1.5 million each year to continue to provide these vital services. To find out more, call 01903 213458 or visit careforveterans.org.uk