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A housebound client has paid tribute to a homecare assistant who gave up a day off to take her out on a ‘lovely’ trip – the first time she had left her home in months.
Theresa Miller, who works for Westmorland Homecare’s Poulton, Fylde and Wyre branch, took 78-year-old Chris to Barton Grange Garden Centre, near Preston.
The duo had lunch, Chris looked around the shop and then enjoyed driving around the car park on her powered wheelchair.
“It was great to go out and I felt really free,” said Chris, who lives at Garstang. “It was so lovely to be out and with Theresa because I enjoy her company.”
Chris has multiple sclerosis and broke her hip about five years ago, which made her immobile, and she has had care from Westmorland Homecare since then. She uses a powered wheelchair permanently.
Her husband, Steve, used to take her out on trips but had to surrender his driving licence due to failing eyesight and other family members have not been able to help for the past year or so because of their own health problems.
Theresa, who until recently was one of Chris’s main carers, said Chris had been given a voucher to visit Barton Grange by Westmorland Homecare for being a loyal customer.
“Chris offered to give it to me because she could not use it because of the difficulties in travelling there,” said Theresa, who is now a Training and Recruitment Coordinator for Westmorland Homecare. “I said the voucher was for her to enjoy and I offered to take her there.
“We agreed a date, which had to be on my day off. She put me on the insurance for their mobility car and Steve gave me some verbal instructions on how to use it.
“Chris was very excited on the day I picked her up to take her to Barton Grange. She really enjoyed the atmosphere there and was a little overwhelmed, but in a nice way.
“At the end I suggested she drive around the car park and she put her wheelchair on full power – she is a fast driver!
“I took her on the trip because I want her to be happy and to have the same freedom as everyone else. Chris has asked me if we can go out again and I have promised to take her to Starbucks.”
Chis added: “It was so lovely of Theresa to offer to take me to Barton Grange on her day off but it is typical of her. She has always gone the extra mile to help and the trip was a good example of that.
“Westmorland Homecare is a wonderful company. They take good care of their staff and clients and employ wonderful staff who care about you.”
Jade Street, Recruitment and Community Engagement Coordinator at the Poulton, Fylde and Wyre branch, said: “Our aim is to keep people living happily in their own home for as long as possible and to make sure their lives are enriched and they are still able to do the things they enjoy, whatever their condition.
“All our homecare assistants see the same clients regularly so they build great relationships with them and that is how things like this trip, which happened on Theresa’s day off, happen.”
Westmorland Homecare provides care to enable vulnerable and often frail people over the age of 18 to live independently in their own home. Its services include homecare, such as help with housekeeping and meal preparation, and personal care, which includes support with medication, dressing, bathing and living life to the full.