In his mid-sixties, Les had moved around his whole life; starting off as farm worker in Devon before ending up in Scotland after many years of drifting.

With no traceable family, Les had a long period of living on the streets and had been admitted to hospital before being referred on to William Simpsons with Alcohol Related Brain Damage (ARBD). William Simpsons specialises in care and support for adults with this condition and welcomed Les for a residential stay with the hope of assisting him in living a happy and fulfilled life.

When Les arrived at William Simpsons, he was almost blind, could hardly hear and was very angry. Our team quickly arranged a visit from optical services and arranged a referral to a hearing clinic.  Within six months, Les had his cataracts removed and hearing aids fitted.

The difference to Les’s quality of life was substantial; he began to socialise with other residents and get involved in activities. He stopped shouting and started chatting to staff, which was when we discovered that Les was an avid music fan. A member of our team brought Les an old CD player and CDs for Les to listen to – and he was delighted.                      

Every year at Christmas, our care and support workers are given funds to select and purchase gifts for residents that they think are needed or will be appreciated by each individual resident. When Les opened his present of pyjamas, toiletries and a brand new Rolling Stones CD, tears streamed down his face. It turned out that he had never received a present before, and had never had anything new of his own.

Sometimes, it’s the little things that can make the biggest difference to someone’s life.

Tailored Support