Independent living is about much more than having your own front door. Bobby-Joe Leach, Independent Living Manager at Rochdale Boroughwide Housing, shares what life is really like across their schemes, and why independence, reassurance and a sense of community go hand in hand.
I’ve been working in health and care in one way or another for almost 30 years, so I’ve seen massive changes in the way we support people.
When people hear ‘independent living schemes’, they often think of old fashioned care homes; somewhere just for older people and with little independence or activities. But that couldn’t be further from what I see every day.
The people living in our schemes are not just older people, we have people aged from 55-95, and they are from all walks of life with a wide range of abilities. Some are still working, we have couples living here and even different members of the same family with their own apartments in the same scheme.
Most importantly, everyone has their own front door. Their home is theirs and can make it whatever they want it to be with their own personal taste in decorating, furniture and style.
Their independence is really important. Some people might need that little bit of safety and reassurance that somebody’s here if they need them, and the technology help us give them that peace of mind and protection.
Things like the video door entry mean people can see who’s at their door and staff can open the main door remotely when they need to. As a manager of multiple schemes, I can see who’s in and who’s out and which carers have checked in wherever I am. If I’m offsite, the calls go through to the contact centre, so they’re always answered.
The reporting makes a big difference too. It loads much quicker and I can easily see what’s been happening across the schemes, things like who’s pressed their pendant by mistake, so we can check in and help if needed.
The ‘I’m OK’ system is great as well. I can see at a glance if there’s anyone that might need a check in, but otherwise people can just get on with their day.
We’ll use more specialist technology when somebody needs it. For example, we’ve got a few people with fall detectors. If someone has had a fall, injured themselves or just don’t feel so good, a fall detector can give them and their family that extra reassurance.
I’ve got one lady that has had a few falls and broke her hip, and I call her Wonder Woman because she just keeps coming back fighting. Obviously, some of our customers have health issues, but they don’t let it beat them.
One of the best parts of my job is seeing the customer journey. Some people aren’t sure about making the move at first, sometimes because they’re not really sure what an independent living scheme will be like. They’ve often had to make big changes, like getting rid of lots of their belongings, or leave somewhere they’ve lived for a long time. But then you see them settle in, meet people and start to really enjoy the company around them.
For me, the job isn’t just about making sure we provide good environments and look after people’s physical needs. It’s about building relationships and trust with the people who live in our schemes. We try to meet much wider needs where we can to support wellbeing. It’s all about helping people to live well and be happy.
A huge part of that is the communities that we’ve created.
There are events to join in with if you want to, but there’s no pressure if you don’t. We have fish and chip Fridays, bingo and all sorts of parties throughout the year. On Tuesday mornings, we have a coffee morning with bacon butties and crumpets, and everyone gets together for a catch up. Now we’re in summertime, there’s lots going on in the gardens too; planting, sitting outside to meet up and spend time together.
That’s what I wish more people understood and could see about independent living.
These independent living schemes aren’t care homes. They’re people’s homes within little communities. Everyone sticks together and looks after each other. It’s lovely to see. You still have your independence and your own life. There’s just that extra bit of reassurance when you need it, and plenty of people around when you fancy a cuppa and a chat.
