We’ve been busily promoting Shared Lives during this, our second Shared Lives Week. I’ll be blogging soon about our conference this week in which we heard from Minister, Norman Lamb MP, Shadow Minister, Liz Kendall MP (text here) and Sandie Keene of ADASS.
The Guardian published an article about Shared Lives today, which argues that we need a new ‘networked’ approach to care and support:
Angela is a Shared Lives carer. She and her partner Tina share their home with Debbie and Linda, two women with learning difficulties who, until they moved in with Angela two years ago, had lived almost all of their lives in care homes.
Neither had ever completely settled anywhere. When they first came to live with Angela and Tina, they did not talk much, and found it difficult to make eye contact. Angela, Tina, Debbie and Linda now live together just like any other family. Cooking is a joint effort. They watch TV together in the evenings. They have meals out and day trips. Debbie loves drama, often sings and does very good impersonations. Linda enjoys arts and crafts. Relatives and friends often join them for a Sunday roast. It’s a busy, happy household.
Debbie says: “I am much happier living here. In the other homes I did not feel loved, and people were mean to me. Now I have a family who love me, and I love them.” Read the rest of the article here.
Escaping the invisible asylum 