Aids and Adaptations lead to a better life
A woman with a chronic disease has praised staff at Spire Homes for
their part in helping her to escape from the domestic violence she
suffered at the hands of her partner.
The woman, who has children, wishes to remain
anonymous, but she has spoken out about the “double whammy of
disability and domestic violence”. She believes that it is harder
for men and women with a disability like she has to break away from
abusive relationships because many are unable to work, have no
financial independence and worry they would not cope alone.
Commenting, she said, “It took me a dozen
attempts to pick up the phone and ask for help, I felt trapped and
I couldn’t have done it without the help of agencies in Rutland
like Women’s Aid and Spire Homes. If it hadn’t been for my
Occupational Therapist giving me the Women’s Aid number, I would
probably be dead because I would have ended my life myself!”
Spire Homes first became aware of the woman 18
months ago through a referral from Women’s Aid. In order to gain
access to social housing, she had to declare herself homeless. “It
was daunting to say I was homeless with children. I didn’t
understand because homeless meant living on the street, yet I still
had a roof over my head.”
Typically in cases of domestic violence, a
woman can leave and will be given emergency accommodation by
Women’s Aid. For disabled people, this is not always possible
because of the physical limitations they have. At the time, Women’s
Aid could not offer accommodation that was suitably equipped with
aids and adaptations. As a result, she was forced to return to her
partner while Spire Homes tried to find her a home.
“It was so stressful; I had to be so
secretive. Spire knew not to post anything to me at home; I had to
visit them secretly which was hard because of my mobility problems.
I couldn’t even let my children know what was happening in case
their father found out. Throughout this difficult time, I continued
to get support from Women’s Aid and Spire Homes.”
Whilst she was a very high priority for social
housing, properties in Rutland do not become available as often as
in some areas. Staff at Spire continued to offer advice and support
to Susan and she says she was surprised at how nice they were.
“I was expecting a cold, intimidating housing
officer, but the Spire officer was exceptionally supportive. I felt
empowered and more knowledgeable and started to believe I could
actually take control of my own life. My housing officer was
trustworthy, respected and understood my need for confidentiality
and always took time to come and see me, she still does. It means a
lot.”
Happily, the woman is now settled in her new
home which has undergone extensive adaptations by Spire Homes to
enable her to live independently. Since a single storey property
was not available, a stairlift was required. There is also a new
flat level shower and bathroom with handles and other aids to
protect her from falling. Spire also fitted a new heating system,
lever taps and a ramp to the front door.
Please click on the images to enlarge