When Tracey’s husband Bob suffered a stroke, it changed everything for her family.
Originally, she kept her job while also caring for their two young children. However, after being released from his twenty week stay in hospital he needed more help than she could give while working. Tracey’s only option was to give up her job and sell their home. Having not only suffered a life changing event, but faced with re-entering the housing market after years, the prospect was intimidating. Thankfully Tracey found Housing Options Scotland online. She was called back twenty minutes after making contact.
After hearing about the options open to her, Tracey decided that due to Bob’s army career she would explore the choices available to ex-service personnel.
With Christine’s help she was able to find and buy a house in Ayrshire and she has started to modify it to make it suitable for her husband and family. Throughout the process she kept in constant contact with us. This help was invaluable when it came to working her way through the bureaucracy: “I don’t know how other people cope.”
She was told to go to the wrong offices twice, struggled with the appropriate paperwork and became frustrated moving in circles. With Housing Options Scotland’s help, she finally felt as though she was talking to human beings: people she could trust who understood the system. “It was so much quicker with their help.”
Investigating funding systems, she discovered that the PIP government scheme was already ten months behind. Instead of waiting she had to fund the modifications herself: “it was too dangerous for Bob to live in the unaltered house.”
As important as finding appropriate housing was setting up a good support system. Moving from an area where they had been very involved in the community, she felt a little lost. However, with help from North Ayrshire Carers she was able to find a day centre for Bob. Now she has time to settle herself in her new surroundings and build a life for their family there.
Tracey knows that the adaption process will be long, but she’s willing to wait and work until she achieves what she wants: “Nothing will ever happen quickly. You need to prepare for the wait.”