Case Study - A mother and daughter new to the area were finding it hard to settle in. This was causing a strain on their relationship which was upsetting. Through Upstream groups and activities recommended by the Upstream mentor, they have been introduced to new friends and interests and are now independent and active in village life.

Case Study – Mr H – referred via GP.  Mr H was isolated at home due to debilitating condition and had lost his job.  He has joined the walking group and due to join a younger social group. He has been placed as voluntary support worker with voluntary organisation weekly social group.

Case Study Mr P – referred by G.P. Mr P was isolated with poor support network.  He has difficulties mentally and physically following a stroke. Initially mainstream groups at Age Concern were tried but concentration and conversation difficulties proved too much for him. He was linked to a Social Services day centre but he found this under stimulating. Mentor service negotiated specialist support and Mr P now has two days a week with social support. Mrs P also using ‘Take a Break’ scheme for respite.

Case Study Mrs D – referred by Community Psychology Services. She is a single parent with five children, two still at home. She has chronic depression and social anxiety. She struggles to manage with running the house. She would like social contact, but high anxiety prevents this. An enabler is to be set up to accompany her to a local social group near her home. She is also going to attend an anxiety management group run by the mentor service.  

Case Study Mrs P – referred from Community Occupational Therapist needing social contact as long term anxiety and depression resulting in social anxiety – severe at times. She is walking to a social group near her home with the help of an enabler at present; feels that she will have confidence to continue this alone soon.

Case Study - A special trip out: The participant wanted to go immediately into the garden. It was lovely weather and she had been ‘in training’ for the day. She told her helper that she had increased her times on both her cycling and rowing machine as she was determined to enjoy the day to its fullest.
She braced herself to go straight up the sloping grass lawn with her wheeled walker and headed off for the Bear House. “I will not be beaten by this hill,” her helper heard her say, as the helper was being left behind!
With great determination she made the trip to the Bear House. Though the opening was a little tight, she squeezed her walker in through the door and was able to enjoy the wicker interior, the bear skin and the floor made of vertebrae. She asked a passer-by to take a picture of herself and her helper.
She was able to get her walker up and down difficult inclines. At one stage she instructed her helper to hook the walking stick around the walker to act as a break on the steeper slopes.
She enjoyed taking photographs of the views.
She talked of how good Upstream was for her. Her family lived away and she keeps in contact using cards and craft ideas that she has learned from Upstream. Her daughter responds in the same way. She is a very determined woman who keeps fit, despite severe mobility problems, in order to climb the steep hill where she lives.

Case Study Mr B - age 54 and lives with his wife.  He has MS and is in a wheelchair. He is bored and has no hobbies since stopping work. He started going to the gym with male Enabler to help build upper body strength to help with transfers and ease burden on his wife. Hehas grown in confidence since becoming less dependent on his wife. He has started coming to a group as a volunteer, and has started doing some admin volunteering for one morning a week in a local charity. He and his wife are much happier.

Case Study Mr N (age 81) – He has advanced sight loss, has started ‘side by side’ cycling with an enabler. He has having a volunteer visitor and has joined one of our social groups and is making friends. Depression has lifted to extent of being able to be discharged from caseload of Community Psychiatric Nurse.

Case Study - This participant who is 53 years of age is a recently bereaved man who has only just moved to the area, he has been blind since birth and is aided by a guide dog. He was totally disorientated having not been out in his town much because of caring for his wife before she passed away, his guide dogs had also got out of practice. With the help of the mentor he arranged to have a refresher course with the dogs. Some bereavement support has been organised and a volunteering role as he is hoping to get back into work. They have done a lot of work on finding their way around the town. They are now looking into social groups and meeting new friends. Mentor supported him at his review at the job centre and supported him to use the bus, which previously he felt he had to use a taxi or didn’t go. Helped source a reader to help with post, job search and local events. Identified someone to help him update his computer and found IT tuition from a volunteer.

Case Study P is a lady in her 70’s who has a facial disfigurement; a Clinical Psychologist referred her.  P has never travelled on a bus on her own, never gone out to socialise (in 53 years) without her husband. Because of her condition her mobility is impaired due to balance issues. With the help of a mentor P has applied for a bus pass and that entailed having her photo taken, this was a real achievement for her as her self esteem was very low. She also has gone into her local coffee shop and signed up for Body Active, which is a GP exercise referral scheme. We are hoping to match her up with a volunteer befriender, so she can carry on the social activities after the 12 weeks. She couldn’t believe how exhilarating it could be to go out without her husband and have something as simple as a cup of coffee and maybe meet new people/friends. For the first time she actually initiated a conversation with a stranger and the response was very positive and gave P a real boost.

Case Study This participant is a lady in her 50’s who has had a car accident and then stroke leaving her with very limited mobility and after a long stay in hospital a lack of confidence. The mentor has enabled her to access the GP referral exercise scheme, Body Active to help build her strength. They are going to explore swimming for the disabled. She has lost much of her sight, so mentor supporting her to access volunteer to help her get used to her specially designed computer program. Now looking for someone to help her use her sewing machine! She has been matched with a befriender to provide on going support.

Case Study Extract from a card sent by relative of new Polish participant16th August 2008:-
‘Thank you for the meeting and to say that you are the first person to fully understand how to speak to my Mother. My husband and I have dealt with many ‘professionals’ over the years with visits to hospitals with Mum, and usually she has never understood a word said to her. I hope that you and your colleagues arrange more visits. Thank you once again’.

Case Study - The Bus Pass Group. The Sahara project has established a group of Muslim elders who have been facilitated to get their over 60’s Bus Passes and get out and about enjoying Devon using them. It now has a new volunteer who is a British White woman who has converted to Islam.  She was able to identify limiting behaviours among group members which she is able to address without challenging the autonomy of the group.  For example, wherever they go a fish and chip lunch has been the obligatory mid-day meal as it is known by the Muslims to be halal.  She has been able to show them a range of vegetarian cafes and bistros and help them to each read the menu and choose lunch individually, rather that one person block-book for all members.  She is also helping them to research their intended destination on the web beforehand and discuss what they might visit while there.  A tourist office and a reference library have been visited and the group have now decided that when they first arrive in a place they will divide up and explore then report back at lunch time, after which members have options of where they might like to go.