Understanding the role that community equipment services play in the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in our society is a really important issue for the people who work at Medequip and deliver the goods, day in and day out. Co-production and cooperation play a vital role in helping to train Medequip people to provide the best possible service across our CES contracts.
So it was a landmark moment when local care assistant Ceiri suggested that one of the people she supported could drive this commitment forward by coming to visit Medequip’s York depot with her six-year-old son Evan who has profound disabilities, to share her experiences of relying on community equipment services to achieve the best quality of life for Evan.
Evan is a SWAN (Syndrome Without A Name) and is currently undiagnosed. To many this would seem rare, but it is actually very common and many families are affected by having an undiagnosed family member. He is non-verbal and requires assistance with every aspect of daily life, but according to York’s Logistics Manager Bruce Holroyd he has the best smile in the world!
Evan’s mum Louise is totally committed to providing Evan with a full and rewarding life. Amazingly, Louise and her partner Richard both work full time alongside caring for Evan, they have minimal help from a team of carers and a place at a special school as well as a plethora of specialist equipment provided by Medequip.
“It’s not just a question of one-off supply of items like chairs, hoists, specialist beds and rise and fall bathing aids, where the family enjoys great support from local authority. Evan is a growing boy, so his needs are constantly changing as he outgrows equipment,” confirmed Bruce. “So our Medequip technicians are frequent visitors to the family’s home to deliver and collect items of equipment.”
The team at Medequip’s York depot was extremely grateful to Louise and Evan for coming to visit to outline how vital community equipment services are in their lives. It was a really important opportunity for Medequip staff, including technicians and the cleaning team, to understand what life