At 84 years old, the client has lived in Sevenoaks for 44 years and has a close family, including two daughters and three grandchildren. Following a long career in clinical management, he continues to value an active life, enjoying travelling and spending time with family and friends. Maintaining his independence and remaining in control of his own life are extremely important to him.
The client is living with inclusion body myositis, a progressive condition which has resulted in increasing muscle weakness and mobility difficulties. He began receiving visiting care from Trinity in August 2023 following a decline in his health. Initially, his family provided much of his support and Trinity provided a morning visit to assist with personal care and help him prepare for the day.
As his condition progressed, falls became an increasing concern. Following one fall, his daughter and son-in-law moved into his home to provide additional support and Trinity temporarily increased the frequency of care visits. Rather than automatically maintaining a higher level of care, the team continued to review his needs with him and his family. As the immediate situation stabilised, visits were reduced again to the morning support he preferred. This ensured care remained proportionate to his needs rather than creating unnecessary dependency.
The client’s mobility presented an important balance between safety and independence. He has full capacity and understands the risks associated with his condition, but remains determined to make his own decisions and continue going out independently. Rather than restricting him because of his falls risk, the care team worked with him on his risk assessments, supporting informed choice while identifying practical measures to reduce avoidable harm.
As his muscle strength declined, the equipment supporting his transfers also needed to change. Moving from a Sara Stedy to a standing hoist represented a significant adjustment for someone who valued independence so highly. The team worked with him and his family to introduce the appropriate equipment and establish a micro-environment where the items and support he needed were readily accessible. Carers supported him to become familiar and confident with the standing hoist while continuing to involve him fully in decisions about his care.
This approach has contributed to a reduction in falls while allowing the client to retain choice and control. His morning care remains focused on what matters to him: receiving the support he needs to get ready safely so that the rest of the day remains his own. He continues to make his own decisions about his care and enjoys going out independently.
The team also recognised that sustainable homecare involves supporting the family around the person. His daughter and son-in-law provide significant ongoing support, but they also need protected time together at their own home. Trinity therefore developed a flexible arrangement where, once a month, care increases to three visits a day across a full weekend. This allows his family to step away from their caring responsibilities knowing that he is supported by a team he knows and trusts.
His daughter regularly communicates with the team, sharing updates about her father’s changing needs and expressing how much she values having this protected time with her own family. Strong communication between the client, his relatives, carers and the office has enabled changes to be identified and addressed while keeping his wishes central to every decision.
The client reports being happy with both the support and the quality of care he receives. Progress is monitored through care records, observations, reviews and family feedback, with his care continuing to adapt as his condition changes. Importantly, increasing physical dependency has not been allowed to become unnecessary loss of independence.
This case demonstrates how safe care and positive risk-taking work together. Trinity has not sought to eliminate every risk by restricting the client’s life. Instead, the team has worked alongside a person with full capacity to understand his choices, introduce safer equipment, respond to changes and support him to retain as much control as possible. The result is fewer falls, increased confidence with new equipment and continued independence despite a progressive condition.
It also demonstrates the value of seeing family carers as partners in care. By providing flexible additional support when needed, Trinity has helped sustain the wider caring arrangement while enabling the client to continue living his own life, in his own way.
