With two terminally ill, disabled boys of six years old and three other children in a 2/3 storey house, privately rented house with no wheelchair access, Julie* was at her wits end.
Day in, day out, Julie had to physically carry her children up and down the stairs to get washed, dressed, go to the toilet and go to bed. But, in desperation one day, Julie called a local radio station and also contacted her local politicians in a bid to find a solution to this problem.
On hearing of her plight, Homecare stepped in and offered support in sourcing new accommodation which would suit the family’s needs. After an exhaustive search and many viewings with the family, a suitable 4 bedroom bungalow was found. Using Homecare’s many contacts with landlords and agents, the bungalow they found was located within Julie’s local community, allowing the boys to attend a local day centre and the other children to remain in their existing school. Homecare then carried out the necessary adaptions, including the laying of laminate flooring to minimise the risk of the boys picking up infections.
The property is now fully maintained for the family with wheelchair access, ramps and rails for the boys. The house is health and safety compliant with regular gas inspections. Homecare’s Housing management team assist Julie through regular visits, responsive maintenance personnel and a 24 hour emergency on-call service.
Throughout this process, Homecare worked closely with the family’s social worker, the NI Housing Executive, Occupational Therapist and healthcare professionals to ensure everything met the families needs. With Julie having contacted her local politicians, other concerned parties that were involved included the local Member of Parliament’s office and the office of the Minister for the Department of Social Development. They were regularly kept informed of Homecare’s progress on the case.
Homecare’s intervention has resulted in Julie being able to continue living within the familiarity of her own community. With support from family and friends, the family is now happily settled into the property.
Homecare Housing has the ability to work in partnership with the public and private sector to resolve such difficulties. With an extensive portfolio of over 200 managed accommodation units, the aim of Homecare’s Housing department is to provide temporary and long-term accommodation to those experiencing a housing need so they may continue to live within the familiarity of their own community.
