A Helping Hand

Mary Steele, Belong Crewe apartment tenant shares how her and husband, Brian, benefitted from access to respite care one of the village’s households.

Brian and Mary moved to Belong Crewe four years ago, when Mary, who was taking Brian to attend Experience Days at the village, was impressed by the warm and welcoming environment. Brian lives with dementia, and they anticipated his future care needs increasing.

“I especially liked how kind and caring everyone was when visiting, and the safety that living in the village would bring really appealed to us,” says Mary.

The couple took a tour of the village and eventually chose to move into a ground-floor apartment.

“The patio doors meant that we could enjoy the outdoor space and sunshine and potter about with plants,” says Mary.

Help at hand

Mary and Brian both take advantage of a range of village facilities, including ordering freshly cooked meals from the Bistro, as well as visiting the Salon, where Brian enjoys going for his morning shave.

“I am partial to a treatment or two myself,” says Mary. “The massages are wonderful, and so are the beauty treatments – I enjoy a manicure and a pedicure. It is great to have everything on your doorstep. To be waited on hand and foot by the Bistro team is a bonus.”

When Brian suffered a stroke last year, the nursing team was on hand to help and address Mary’s concerns. After being discharged from hospital, he briefly moved into one of the village’s households for a period of respite, which Mary says was a great help as she was also feeling unwell. The support from the household teams allowed her to recover while knowing that Brian was in good hands.

“It was reassuring to have Brian in the same building and know that I could visit him at anytime and that he could also come home during the day and return to the household in the evenings.”

Where they Belong

Nowadays, the pair are back to joining in with village life.

“There is such a fantastic varied programme of activities, which the girls work so hard on organising, and the effort they go to shows. We have made some great friendships by getting involved. Before coming to Belong, I was bit unsure if it was the right choice, but it has been the best thing for both me and Brian. I could never go back to my old style of living.”

Mary is careful not to leave anyone out of her praise for the village teams.

“The building is kept spotless by the lovely housekeeping team, and reception and management are so welcoming and friendly. Nothing is too much for them, and they support and offer guidance to me and my family. I want them all to know how wonderful they are.”