Grants Case Study 1
Assistive technology supporting new levels of independence
Aged 61, this client was signposted to JHC for help by SCDC’s Supported Housing Estate officer following her move into one of their independent-living properties. She had suffered from tonic-clonic seizures from early childhood and was prescribed anti-epileptic drugs. However, these caused memory impairment and hadn’t succeeded in controlling her regular seizures and related ‘absences’.
Historically, the client had lived with her family to ensure support was always to hand. Following both her parents’ deaths she had lived with her brother and his girlfriend but this proved unsustainable, at which point she was referred to SCDC.
Although she received supported living, she didn’t actually have any savings or income to make her new home comfortable. JHC stepped in by helping her access benefits she was entitled to such as Universal Credit (UC), PIP and CTS. UC applications have to be managed online so we set up an email account for her to monitor and respond to subsequent updates directly.
We also helped her secure funding from other eligible charities so she could buy white goods, flooring, and furniture items to help make her new home a secure, warm place to live.
Support from Cambridgeshire’s Local Assistance Scheme and other grants have since helped to sustain her tenancy so she can live independently with support.
At the same time, JHC continues to assist her, as needed, including liaising with SCDC’s Adult Early Help team. This has resulted in the client being able to use assistive technology to alert the emergency services when she has a seizure.