Independent living with a micro provider

About Angela and Rupert

Angela (68) and Rupert (71) have been married for 26 years. They live on their small farm in rural Somerset. Rupert has a support worker.​

Angela can call on Sue -Rupert’s support worker at times of emergency or anxiety and Sue juggles her hours as needed. Rupert also feels safe with Sue. Thanks to her support, they are able to live together in their own home, and Angela is able to continue to play an active role in caring for her partner.

Angela has fibromyalgia and anxiety. Rupert has had poor mental health for a long time, and now has difficulties in walking, and has diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. Angela and Rupert receive 10½ hours support per week from Sue (a local micro care provider supported by Community Catalysts CIC) which is funded in full by the council.

Angela and Rupert’s story

 “It became too much for me [Angela] to cope with everything on my own, especially with the fibromyalgia. If I can’t do things, it’s not safe for Ru. He needs a constant ‘care net’. He’d gone into hospital with a urinary tract infection and the hospital said it wasn’t right for him to come home so he went to a care home for a month, then the home sent him home and we had assessment carers for weeks. Social services made a direct payment and [we] found Sue from the micro provider list. We’ve got a free reign over how we use the money. At the moment, we’ve got funding for the morning, and there’s a new assessment next week so we’re hoping for more hours.

He needs someone he knows, and someone he can count on turning up. He feels safe with Sue. She starts the morning by waking and helping him up, and dealing with his night bag, checking the day bag and the catheter that goes into the stomach (which needs to be cleaned daily). She helps gets him to the bathroom and generally encourages him. Some days he’ll wash his face, some days he’ll dry himself, so it’s variable. All the time Sue’s encouraging him, and seeing what he can do that day. He’s even been able to play dominoes with her! Some days though, it can take Sue 20 minutes just to get him sitting up in bed.

Once she’s back at home Sue sends me messages on WhatsApp, to see how I am. I can ask her opinion (should we call the doctor, she will take a urine sample to the surgery if needed to speed things up etc.). I can lose confidence with the anxiety but Sue can prompt me into phoning the doctor, because I’ll try to continue to cope with the situation but she has a fresh eye on the situation, so it’s not the complete responsibility going to me. I can talk to someone, and between us we can work out what to do.

Last time he was ill, I couldn’t move him but I rang Sue and she came up. In rural areas like this, micro carers are a great help, because agencies won’t come up this far because of the travelling.”

About Silver Lining Agency

  • Sue set herself up as a micro-provider – Silver Lining Agency – in November 2016 with help from the Community Catalysts Micro-enterprise Project.
  • As well as Angela and Rupert, Sue supports three other people during the week.

What Silver Lining Agency say:

  •  “You need time for people. You get involved with their family. I have their family’s numbers so if a lightbulb’s blown or I think something’s wrong I can ring them to say so.”