A DOWNEND man has thanked the care team who have helped him transform his life.
Sean Wicks, aged 63, is a home care client of Brunelcare South Gloucestershire Reablement Team.
Before the team gave him support, Sean would spend more than 100 hours at a time sitting in front of the TV, using litter pickers to reach snacks and drinks so he wouldn’t need to move from his chair.
After a few months of support he now gets up regularly, showers daily, has one or two hot meals a day, stays hydrated, and walks to his local shops.
A spokesperson for the charity said: “When the team first began supporting him, Sean was reluctant to leave his home and struggled with day-to-day tasks.
“For over 14 weeks he was unable to engage in meaningful activities, often feeling low and withdrawn.
“At first, he didn’t even want to open the door to the Brunelcare Reablement Team, but with time, trust, and compassionate persistence, he developed a strong bond with Reablement Worker Gemma House and now looks forward to her three daily visits.
“With Gemma’s consistent encouragement and two and a half years of frontline experience, Sean’s life began to change dramatically.”
Sean is visited three times a day for 30 to 45 minutes, given support in preparing meals, showering, walking and meaningful social interaction.
Brunelcare South Gloucestershire operations manager Clare Harmer said: “Over the past year, Sean hasn’t just settled, he’s really started enjoying life again!
“At first, we were only visiting once a day in the evenings, but it quickly became clear he needed a bit more support. As soon as we increased the number of visits and added regular check-in calls, we started to see real change.
“With lots of encouragement and patience, Sean went from staying in the same spot for hours to walking around, stepping out into the corridor, and slowly getting back into the rhythm of everyday life.”
Sean said: “The team at Brunelcare have truly changed my life.
“I used to spend well over 100 hours in my old chair watching TV and didn’t move a muscle, and I would snack on junk food, but now I’m eating better, drinking more, and moving more.
“I wasn’t able to do anything before. Now I can, and I’m so excited for my visits every day with Gemma.
“She’s a star and we have formed such a great relationship. I don’t know how I would have coped without the team.”