TWO men in Cornwall have praised the support they’ve been given by an NHS service which makes recovery at home for people with health problems easier.

The Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust’s Home First service is made up of a team of nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and support workers.

The service was set up to provide short-term rehabilitation and reablement to help people manage and recover from health problems at home safely. The service helps to prevent admission to acute hospitals as well as supporting earlier discharge.  

Recently, the team supported a patient called Dave in his family home near St Austell.

Dave, a talented carpenter, suffered a stroke in the year 2000 at the age of 29 which left him blind in one eye and partially sighted in the other. He is also unable to use his left arm and hand, and has spent time in a wheelchair.

Dave began receiving visits from the Home First team following a referral from his GP when his condition deteriorated.

“We needed help,” said Dave, and that help came from Home First.

His mother Jackie said the team has provided the support they desperately needed: “Dave could not sit up, he could not eat, he could not drink because I could not move him. He could not use the bathroom.

“Within two days, Dave had a hospital bed and he was able to sit up. The team came and helped him in the shower. Without them, we would have gone under because I physically could not move Dave.”

Dave said: “When I had my stroke originally, the hospital moved me around, but having this episode again at home with my mum and dad, we had no means of moving about. It was quite serious. Without Home First, we would not have managed.”

Dave is not the only person to have benefited from Home First. Many people across Cornwall facing similarly challenging times are being helped by the service’s dedicated team.

Among them is Stuart who lives in St Austell with his wife, Sue.

Stuart was in hospital for four weeks, with water retention in his legs, and kidney and heart problems.

When Stuart was allowed to return home, he was cared for by Sue.

After finding it difficult caring for him on her own, Sue learnt about the Home First service.

She said: “I was very pleased with them. It has helped us immensely. It meant that Stuart was able to manage on his own when I’m not here.

“Without them, it would have been a real struggle for me and Stuart. It was a lifeline for us both.

“It just takes the pressure off me, knowing they were there if I needed them.”

Stuart, a big rugby fan who played over 200 games for St Austell Rugby Club, said: “Sue has been doing a lot and it’s just been us. Home First have been really good. I cannot fault it.

“The physio has been really good. They get you doing exercises and moving about. It has helped me a lot.”