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Linda’s vibrant, chirpy attitude to life is an inspiration..

Linda’s husband John had to give up work 12 years ago to look after her. Then five years ago when Linda lost her hearing and found out she had a second brain tumour he couldn’t cope any longer. Linda adds: “It was too much for him, he was ill and I became worse as result.” Linda and John talked with their GP, DCC assessed the situation and a local home care agency provided minimum care.

Linda says: “John didn’t feel safe with the agency person who was dealing with me. There is a certain way to handle me… knowing when I am well enough to have my hair washed, knowing when I need a bed-bath. I can be in agony if my wheelchair jolts suddenly.”

As Linda’s pain increased so did her visits. Sleep revolved around her medication and that didn’t fit in with the agency. Linda didn’t like being told she had to go to bed when the sun was still shining. “I was not in control of my life. They were in control of me. All of my independence went completely out of the window.  

“Eventually it got to the stage that I didn’t know who was going to walk through the door. The agency carers would change constantly and didn’t know how to handle me – I didn’t want to risk the pain any longer.”

Linda’s Occupational Therapist (OT) suggested I have a personal budget in the form of a direct payment. “She was brilliant. She looked at me as a whole person, as someone with a brain and not someone just lying there waiting for a wash! I think when you are being assessed – that’s when a professional needs to see the bigger picture of your life.

“You have to explain to your assessor how long it takes to do things; say what you’d like to do here; what you’d like to do there and tell them how long it will all take.”  

“I was really quite frightened of the change. I hated to admit that I’d lost my confidence but an Independent Living Adviser from the Direct Payments (DP) team came to see me. We explored all the options and Lyn went through process step by step over giving me the confidence to go for it!  The main aspect was the flexibility of Direct Payments – it is so important, it has totally changed my life.”

“Advisors can help sort out your paperwork with you, explain about payroll support and accounting. They can help you advertise for a carer; support you with the interview and give you advice about what kind of questions to ask. I know I was frightened at the thought of it, but once I got into it, I thought it was great! “

Linda says: “I cried tons, so many good things have happened to make me be me again!

I hadn’t been to a hairdresser for 15 years. Now my enablers take me. I feel I have become a woman again and I am interested in clothes. I have become independent and once more.”

“Once my life was so horrible that I was frightened that I was going to live, now I am frightened I am going to die! The things I was never going to do again are now a possibility.”

“I can be totally flexible, saving up the hours allocated for my carers to go out for a whole day. So when I am feeling well it means I don’t have as much care for the next day or the day after, for example. I have 38 hours of care, and I use those hours exactly how I want.”

In the past Linda had had the option to take respite in a nursing home so her husband could have a break, costing DCC thousands of pounds. The traditional institutional environment didn’t suit Linda and now, with Direct Payments allocating an amount of money for respite care, she can contribute herself and do exactly what she wants. “The great thing is...it’s up to me how I take that respite within that year.”

“I feel that I am back in the land of the living, making decisions about what I want to do each day. I really want to shout from the roof tops how great this has worked out for me.”

A summary of Linda's story was published in Connect magazine (formerly called Devon Talk)