Our Stories

John Smith was distraught when he contacted us about his mother, Penny. At 80 years old, Penny had suffered a traumatic head injury in a fall and was suddenly unable to care for herself to the level she had previously enjoyed. Between his own family and work commitments, John was unable to give his mother the kind of care she needed to claw back some of the independence that had marked the whole of her life. John called Frantec and William and Shona visited Penny at her home, determining that she could benefit from live-in care and that there was financial assistance available from a local authority. Frantec set up a 24-hour live-in carer who helps Penny not only to live a dignified life in her own home, but to participate in family gatherings, making her a part of the family’s life once again.

‘I had no idea this was even an option,’ said John Smith. ‘We knew Maria like one of our cousins, and now she’s got either Carol and Susan from Frantec with her every single day, and she’s able to enjoy visits from my kids again. Susan helped us take mum and the kids to the zoo, and it means the world to know they’ll remember their grandmother as part of their childhood rather than just someone they help take care of.’

Maria joined Frantec in 2014 as a Personal Support Worker and quickly became part of our caregiver family. Some of the clients she came to love and care for included Penny Smith, a grandmother who Maria helped reconnect with her grandchildren; Paul Jones, who Maria helped to overcome his physical restrictions to participate in community events near his home in Chelmsford; and Sylvia Raszewski, who Maria supported through the process of relearning to walk and speak after an accident.

When she left Frantec after 11 years, Maria still felt a part of the family.

‘I would like to say a big thank you for being part of your life in the last 11 years,’ she said in a message to her colleagues. ‘I still have the feeling I'm your family member. Thank you for the knowledge I've collected. I do feel that while I worked with all of you I became a better person.’