Mary is an 89-year-old woman who had recently moved back to Oldham from Ireland, where she planned to spend her retirement. Unfortunately, the move did not go as planned and Mary ended up in a hostel in Ireland. She had given up her rented property in Oldham and given away all her furniture, meaning she would be returning to the area homeless.
In the short term, Mary was living with her friend David. However, this living situation was not ideal as David was unwell and Mary felt pressured to move out. David kindly offered Mary to stay until she was offered a flat, rather than move into temporary accommodation in Manchester. Mary had also been separated from her dog, Lucy, who was also staying at a friend’s house as a temporary arrangement. Mary’s end term goal was to find stable accommodation and to be reunited with her beloved greyhound, Lucy.
Mary was referred to Oldham Social Prescribing as she needed support with housing. Due to Mary's age, this raised immediate concerns for the Oldham Social Prescribing team who got in touch straight away to see how they could help.
Lucy C from Oldham Social Prescribing contacted Mary via phone calls for their initial conversations. Mary was able to describe her difficulties with the current housing system due to a lack of digital literacy, meaning she did not have access to a smartphone or laptop, which were a barrier for her.
Lucy C was able to build a relationship with Mary though these regular calls and refer her to the appropriate support networks, including Oldham Council Homeless Team.
Lucy C worked with Sheri the Homeless Officer at Oldham Council and FCHO to secure Mary a property in Failsworth. Mary was also allocated a Social Prescribing Link Worker in South PCN, Dawn who co-worked the case with Lucy.
Mary was immediately relieved that she had someone to help her who was empathetic to her situation and had knowledge and contacts in Oldham to be able to support her in finding long term accommodation.
When Mary was offered the property, Lucy C and Dawn worked with FCHO to ensure all documentation was correct and uploaded.
Lucy C and Dawn also met with Mary at David’s house, to check on her wellbeing and also reassure David that Mary was making progress with her move. David’s family members were also kept updated on the situation.
To make sure the move went smoothly, Lucy C met Mary at the new property to help her get set up. Age UK were able to provide a variety of necessities such as furniture, kitchen appliances, a bed as well as some meals.
Oldham Food Bank was also contacted and were able to provide food. A volunteer’s daughter also surprised Mary with flowers to congratulate her on her new home.
Following this, Mary was referred to the FCHO Impact Team who were able to advise her with bills and provide ongoing support with her tenancy.
In August, Dawn and Lucy C visited Mary and her dog Lucy at their home. They were greeted with tea and cakes and were able to have a lovely visit. Dawn and Lucy C checked how Mary was getting on, and she confirmed she is now doing really well. Mary had worked all her life and all she wanted was a home for herself and her dog.
Lucy C and Dawn also had good news for Mary, they had been able to secure funding from Age UK and David to get Mary carpets in her flat. They plan to keep in touch with Mary while the carpets are getting fitted and so Mary still has some social connections.
Thanks to the collaborative working from Oldham Social Prescribing and other Oldham based services, Mary was able to find a solution to her housing crisis issue and is now looking to the future, as she hopes to find a local church she can join.
Oldham Social Prescribing
The Oldham Social Prescribing service supported Mary to reach her end term goal to stable accommodation and reunite with her beloved greyhound, Lucy.
To find out more about our Oldham Social Prescribing service, please click here