Vince’s story

October 17 2015

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Seeing the dream of a new home come true this year has made a huge difference to Ashley Place resident Vince.

For Vince, who has restricted upper body movement and limited verbal communication, the building’s adapted technology has made him much more independent. ‘Vince couldn’t open or close his door on his own in the old building without staff support. Now he can come and go as he pleases and use the lift, which is wheelchair-activated,’ says Trudy Lockyer, Manager. ‘It’s completely freed him.’

‘The first day Vince went in the lift on his own, we could hear him shrieking with enjoyment,’ adds Deputy Manager Natasha Coles. ‘He’ll often be upstairs now, happily doing things and we’ll hear him laugh out loud, just really enjoying his room. He’s so excited about life and he’s loving being here.’

The building’s space allows residents to welcome friends and family to their room, and enjoy meals together in the bright living area. The environment has noticeably increased the residents’ wellbeing and sociability. ‘It doesn’t create the frustrations that the old building did – we’ve noticed that people seem much more chilled out and relaxed about life,’ says Trudy Lockyer, Service Manager. ‘Several of the residents choose to eat together more often now.’

‘The small things make the biggest difference,’ says Trudy. ‘If you are a disabled person, you might need staff support for many areas of your life, and to have some things that you can do for yourself – it’s a big deal for people. It might just seem like a door, but it can be a life changer.’

[thrive_link color=’orange’ link=’https://livability.org.uk/findservices/services/livability-ashley-place//’ target=’_blank’ size=’medium’ align=”]Find out more about Livability Ashley Place[/thrive_link]

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