Julie
This service user has a diagnosis of moderate learning disability, cerebral palsy, communication difficulties, scoliosis of the spine and associated behaviour that challenges. She moved into our 6-bed residential care home from hospital where she had previously been segregated and detained under section 136 of the Mental Health Act due to the damage she had caused in her previous placement and to herself. She had numerous previous placements breakdown due to the levels and escalations of her aggression. Her anxieties were evident when she first arrived and staff needed to reassure her and provide detailed emotional support.
In order to keep her safe, our staff who are trained in Positive Behaviour Support and Ethical Care (restraint reduction and safe management of aggression) allowed her to pressure touch in order for her to feel more secure and reassured.
Our staff worked with her to help stimulate her sensory need for pressure touch by using her weighted blanket, sensory toys and other weighted techniques to reduce and eliminate the use and requirements of any kind of restraint.
During her stay at our care home, the ongoing support from our staff and other healthcare professionals resulted in the service user developing good trusting relationships with all staff. This has resulted in her working towards returning to college. There has been a drastic reduction in behaviours as she has learnt to talk with staff when anxious through an interactive App that helps her express how she is feeling without having to use verbal communication.
This has helped to stabilise her anxieties and difficulties in expressing her emotions or feelings with staff who she has not built a strong trust with. This has also helped to improve her interaction with new staff and her independence with communication. We have continuously worked with the client to help reassure and support her throughout her daily living. She is very proud of herself and the changes she has made over the previous 2 years – staff continue to offer positive reassurance daily.
The service user still requires high levels of staff support during the day due to her heightened anxiety, unexpected change in mood, with the ability to acquire new behaviours from other service users within the home, to help manipulate situations to her advantage within her daily living and when attending appointments with professionals. Her anxiety has reduced throughout the night, resulting in a reduction in support levels.
She continues to make daily improvements with regards to her daily living – staff continue to reassure and assist her in all aspects of her care and she needs help to improve her capabilities and understanding of her emotions, communication and daily needs.
Since the female client has resided at our care home there has been no incidents of self-harm. Staff have also worked with her to help reduce her PRN medication.
