A place to call home: Kieran’s journey to Greenacre Park

After experiencing a life-changing brain injury and years of unsuitable care placements, Kieran has now found a place to call home at Greenacre Park.

For the first time, he found a home that truly understood and met his complex needs.

With a supportive environment and a dedicated Nurse-led team, Kieran is now more engaged, social, and enjoying meaningful activities tailored just for him.

His story, told by his brother Niall, is a powerful testament to the impact of personalised, compassionate care, from the right team.

Kieran lived with his wife in the South of England, and was looking forward to becoming a father for the first time.

Following an acquired brain injury, Kieran’s physical and cognitive abilities were severely impacted, leaving him with a high degree of challenges, and dependent upon 24-hour care and support.

After his injury, Kieran moved into a care home and had multiple placement breakdowns. Unfortunately, Niall feels that each one fell short of meeting Kieran’s unique care needs. Whether it was a lack of specialist services, insufficient staff training, or simply an environment that didn’t feel welcoming.

Many providers would leave Kieran in his chair for extended periods of time, as this was less tasking for his carers.

Following the breakdown of another placement, and the split from his wife, Kieran’s family made the decision to move him back to Leicester, to be closer to his friends and family.

The NHS funding team identified a number of providers in the Midlands, and Niall visited each of them before Kieran would find a home.

When visiting providers, Niall knew it didn’t feel ‘right’. The buildings were dark, unwelcoming and he commented:

However, the experience at Greenacre Park made him feel different to any other provider he had visited.

The team were friendly and took the time to find out about Kieran. The newly built and refurbished home was warm, bright, and had a homely feeling throughout the building, with small touches making a big difference. Such as asking how Kieran would want to redecorate his bedroom. Something that had never been offered to Kieran before.

Niall had reason to feel apprehensive, as Kieran had transitioned into yet another new home. However, upon arriving at Greenacre Park, things began to change. Right from the outset, the care team demonstrated a clear commitment to understanding Kieran.

Although Kieran has suffered a catastrophic injury, it doesn’t mean his life had to change. With the right support, Kieran has begun to thrive, participating in activities that Niall previously thought were unimaginable.

The biggest difference Niall has witnessed in his brother since moving to Greenacre Park is the increase in interaction with the care team and activities within the home.

From understanding Kieran’s past experiences, the team at Greenacre Park took a holistic approach that welcomed Kieran into their community.

Niall has enjoyed seeing his brother become more social, instead of being limited to his own bedroom.

The team organised activities tailored specifically for his interests. They have taken Kieran on trips into the wider community, something no other provider would do.

The in-house Physiotherapist worked with Kieran to build his sitting tolerance from two to four hours, enabling him to watch a football match at Leicester Football Club.

Niall has noticed positive subtle changes to his brothers his appearance, such as his grooming and wearing smarter clothes.

It’s the dedication of the team at Greenacre Park that transforms a care home from merely a place to stay into a true home for Kieran.

As time passed following his injury, Kieran’s condition hasn’t improved in the way his family had hoped. It became evident to Niall that Kieran will always need round the clock care.

It’s visible to Niall the newfound environment has had a significant impact on Kieran's well-being, and they’ve found a supportive network that truly cares about his brother.

Niall and his family are confident that Kieran is in the right place to meet his complex needs. There is still some way to go to, and the dedicated team at Greenacre Park have taken the steps to make that happen.

With support from colleagues in our wider Clinical and Digital Transformation Team’s we have identified initial goals that will help Kieran to:

• improve his comfort

• communicate with advanced technology

• improve his confidence and ability to get out more within the community.

A new wheelchair

Kieran has made it clear that his current wheelchair doesn’t provide the correct support for his head, and he feels claustrophobic with a head support.

Following a consultation with specialist wheelchair providers, they’re happy that Kieran’s wheelchair is already top of the range and are unable to offer a solution. However, our Physiotherapist is working with Senior Directors to locate a custom wheelchair which will fully meet Kieran’s needs to support his body, neck and head.

Eye gaze technology

Niall and his family would like to see Kieran express his own opinions, as he currently communicates with a yes or no with his eyes.

To open lines of communication, allowing Kieran to express any concerns or desires, the team presented the ‘Eye gaze’ to Niall. This technology allows users to control a computer or communication aid with their eyes, offering an alternative to traditional keyboard and mouse input.

Getting out into the community

Within Exemplar Health Care, we have another 58 care homes across the UK, supporting adults along similar journeys as Kieran.

Dave is a Service User Ambassador at Willowbeck, one of our care homes in Sheffield. An accident five years ago left him nonverbal and 95% of his communication now is via eye gaze technology.

We facilitated a meeting with Dave, coming from a similar background to Kieran, they come to a level of understanding and comfort that allowed each other to feel valued and seen.

Dave spoke to Kieran about the roles he gets involved in at Willowbeck and his plans for the future, all of which build on his past skills and experience as an Outdoor Senior Instructor.

Dave’s story showed Kieran how another service user further along in his journey living in an Exemplar Health Care home, has taken similar opportunities he now has presented to him.

The meeting has been instrumental, giving Kieran the confidence and knowledge that with the support of our team, he can also make a significant impact upon his life.

Life is unpredictable.

One moment, you can be enjoying a thriving career, immersed in academia, and the next, you find yourself grappling with an unforeseen circumstance that dramatically alters your daily existence.

As we reflect on Kieran’s journey, it becomes clear that personalised care from the right people can make all the difference.

Kieran has found more than just a bed and meals at Greenacre Park.

It’s essential to choose a home that takes the time to know and understand their service users.

After all, everyone deserves to live a fulfilling and meaningful life - defying expectations placed on them, not matter what life-changing situation you may experience.

If you’re looking for a community-based service for complex discharges, please get in touch with our Referrals Team on 01709 565777 or referrals@exemplarhc.com.