Being able to communicate easier is something that J is now able to do thanks to her Personal Health Budget.
J has severe Multiple Sclerosis, it means that she has great difficulty moving and that she has real trouble communicating her needs. Since she has started to get a Personal Health Budget the quality of life for J has increased dramatically.
J sits in her chair and smiles and says ‘hello’ in a quiet voice – it’s something that before her Personal Health Budget she would have struggled to do.
J lives in a nursing home which was specially chosen for its facilities which match her complex needs. She has been living in the home for almost three years. J has been using her Personal Health Budget since earlier this year and has benefitted dramatically from it. Sitting in her cosy room surrounded by family photos, J’s sister D explains how the Personal Health Budget has helped her sister. D explains how they decided to use part of the Personal Health Budget for special supports for her chair as well as extra physiotherapy sessions and special speech therapy sessions.
D explained: “One thing that we have found very helpful was that thanks to the Personal Health Budget we have been able to increase the number of speech and language therapy J receives. We have increased the sessions, so that it is weekly and this has been done through the Multiple Sclerosis Association. This has been very beneficial”
“We have also been able to increase the amount of specialist physiotherapy that J receives again this helps ease her pain.” D added: “The staff, with the NHS, who have helped to set up and organise the Personal Health Budget are fantastic and so helpful. They are only a phone call away. We’d definitely recommend anyone to get a Personal Health Budget.” J smiles and nods agreeing: “That’s true”