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Leading a Fuller Life
Going on holiday and choosing how to spend your free time is the key to independent living. Homelife-Paragon supports four ladies to live independently in a shared tenancy where holidays and trips away are an important part of life.
Stepping through the door of their home in Northenden, Manchester, you are greeted with friendly, welcoming faces. The house has a lovely, homely feel and is just a stone’s throw from the centre of Northenden – the perfect location for people wanting to live an active life in their community.
Photographs cover the walls and the ladies show me a special collage of snaps taken from a group trip to Spain which is up on the wall in the dining room. “We had a brilliant time,” says housemate Anne Marie Quigley. “We all went and stayed in a hotel. We went on lots of trips and it was really good fun. It was Maureen’s first time on a plane!”
Aside from their group trips the friends also like to go away individually. Each of the housemates have their own holiday planned for later in the summer with caravanning and visits to see family on the cards. Housemate Maureen Davis has recently come back from a trip to Windermere. Maureen was accompanied on her holiday by Leo Bond, who joins us at the ladies home today.
Leo is also supported by Homelife and lives just down the road from Maureen. “Leo is very close to Maureen and they have been friends for years,” explains Homelife support worker, Mandy Hardman. “They were both in hospital together for years before independent living. They have remained close and get on really well.” The two friends love to go on holiday together, with their recent trip to the Lake District just one of many. “It was lovely,” says Leo. “We had a good time.”
The friends were supported by two Homelife support workers for the duration of their trip. Maureen and Leo also hired a car to ensure they could get around and see all the sights. “It was blue and it was a beautiful car,” says Maureen. “The weather wasn’t too bad either and we saw lots of things.” Maureen and Leo stayed in a huge hotel in the heart of Windermere. “Leo says: The food was good and we stayed in big rooms.” Maureen agrees. “It was a lovely hotel. I had a Jacuzzi bath in my room!”
“They had a really good time and haven’t stopped taking about it since they got back home,” says Mandy. Like all the Homelife staff, Mandy is on hand to support the ladies with; independent living skills, getting out and about in the community and with medication.
“The support we give to each person is very different and it really depends on what each of ladies has planned or feels like doing that day. We have a staff sleep room here so the support at the ladies home is 24 hours a day.”
Anne Marie and housemate Susan Littlemoor are supported to attend an art class at their local college. “It’s not just painting its lots of different crafts.” explains Susan proudly showing a recent glass painting she has created. The two ladies are the best of friends and do many things together. “We get on really well and all had a brilliant time when it was my birthday,” says Anne Marie.
Anne Marie was given a huge surprise at her recent birthday celebrations when her sister came to see her. “I wasn’t expecting it at all. It was a big shock – but a good one!” The ladies certainly get on well and are all very active and busy making choices and decisions about how they live their lives. Like all the individuals supported by Homelife they are gaining skills towards independence and living their lives to the fullest.