Examples of the support Crossroads has provided and the difference this has made
The Petrie Family
Life was stressful before receiving support from Crossroads Fife. Being a carer to children with additional support needs disrupts a lot of family life which I did not realise. Crossroads became involved to give me some respite, a break caring for the child who had additional needs. Crossroads offers a core service and a support worker takes my child to places that he enjoys, such as bowling, swimming and trips to the cinema. This gives me time to spend with my youngest son. Life now is a lot more relaxed as he gets to go other places.
I would definitely recommend Crossroads Fife.
Margaret Petrie – July 2017
Life was stressful before receiving support from Crossroads Fife. Being a carer to children with additional support needs disrupts a lot of family life which I did not realise. Crossroads became involved to give me some respite, a break caring for the child who had additional needs. Crossroads offers a core service and a support worker takes my child to places that he enjoys, such as bowling, swimming and trips to the cinema. This gives me time to spend with my youngest son. Life now is a lot more relaxed as he gets to go other places.
I would definitely recommend Crossroads Fife.
Margaret Petrie – July 2017
The Family of Joe Swan
Joe Swan receives 18 hours support each week over a 7 day period, purchase through Self Directed Support Option 1 - Direct Payments. We received the following testimonial from Mr Swan's daughter.
At first, we were anxious about strangers looking after Dad, but as a family we were beginning to struggle with his care needs. We therefore contacted social services and chose the self-directed care option as we wanted to have as much control as possible over any decisions made. From the initial consultation eighteen months ago until now, we have found Crossroads to be a very professional organisation with high quality and well trained staff. Dad’s requirements have always been the top priority and every effort is made to liaise with the family and to ensure that the carers are matched to provide him with his particular needs.
He is now 96 and still happily living at home where he receives compassionate care and stimulating company every day. There are many times when the carers go above and beyond to make him feel special and we feel very fortunate to have their support in allowing our dad to live as independently as possible. We have no hesitation in recommending Crossroads as a care provider.
Dorothy Gilmour - July 2017
Joe Swan receives 18 hours support each week over a 7 day period, purchase through Self Directed Support Option 1 - Direct Payments. We received the following testimonial from Mr Swan's daughter.
At first, we were anxious about strangers looking after Dad, but as a family we were beginning to struggle with his care needs. We therefore contacted social services and chose the self-directed care option as we wanted to have as much control as possible over any decisions made. From the initial consultation eighteen months ago until now, we have found Crossroads to be a very professional organisation with high quality and well trained staff. Dad’s requirements have always been the top priority and every effort is made to liaise with the family and to ensure that the carers are matched to provide him with his particular needs.
He is now 96 and still happily living at home where he receives compassionate care and stimulating company every day. There are many times when the carers go above and beyond to make him feel special and we feel very fortunate to have their support in allowing our dad to live as independently as possible. We have no hesitation in recommending Crossroads as a care provider.
Dorothy Gilmour - July 2017
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The Leslie Family
I have been a carer since my youngest son Kian was born with additional support needs 12 years ago. As well as being a carer, I also work part-time. My husband is a long distance lorry driver so is not at home during the week. Kian's support needs has had an impact on the time I can spend with my oldest son Jay and the places that I can take him or the activities that we do. When Crossroads started to provide support to me one evening per week, this meant that I could spend 1:1 time with Jay and take him to hockey, out on his bike, out for a meal or to visit friends and family. For a while I was able to get 2 services at 2 hours per week but this has been reduced to 2 hours weekly again. Due to funding constraints I now pay a £5 charger per service. The difference this support has made has been brilliant. It is something that I can look forward to. Because Kian gets on well with his Support Worker, Madge Buchan, I know he is happy and safe and enjoying playing. Recently Madge and Kian baked cakes. This means we both get great support. Though I am still busy and still get tired, I know I can get some ‘Me’ time. I have something to look forward to. Recently Madge nominated me for the Carer of the Year Awards, organised by Crossroads Caring Scotland. I received flowers from them recognising my role as a good carer. I would definitely recommend Crossroads Fife to other carers as it is a really good service. Kian and I recently took part in the sponsored walk for Crossroads Fife to help them raise money. We wouldn’t want the service to disappear! Gillian Leslie – July 2017 |
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Marjorie Hamilton - A Carer's Perspective
Life before Crossroads was fairly isolated for me as a carer. I recognised something was happening with my mother long before her official diagnosis of vascular dementia. Mum obviously was getting distressed about her shortfalls and I could only soldier on doing my best.
The carers allocated for her personal care have very limited time to spend with her. Mum is highly dependent on me for a multitude of reasons and can phone frequently. I visit most days and on occasion more than once. I am reluctant to go on holiday breaks.
About a year ago mum was allocated a social worker and it was this person who suggested the involvement of Crossroads Fife as mum refuses to be involved in any communal facilities. At the time I was sceptical however
mum agreed to give it a try. A weekly visit of two hour sessions was agreed and I am delighted to say that they are highly successful not least of all due to the wonderful work of the support worker. She has built up a very special relationship with my mother and I know mum looks forward to the time she spends with her.
I personally feel relief knowing mum is having such quality time and also knowing the support worker handles situations with great sensitivity. Not only does she support my mother so admirably she is also caring towards me. It is a comfort for me to know there is someone I can talk to if the need arises.
I feel extremely fortunate to have the services and friendship of crossroads and am positive that my mother would say the same were she able to do so. My biggest regret is that crossroads support wasn't in place sooner.
Marjorie Hamilton - May 2017
Life before Crossroads was fairly isolated for me as a carer. I recognised something was happening with my mother long before her official diagnosis of vascular dementia. Mum obviously was getting distressed about her shortfalls and I could only soldier on doing my best.
The carers allocated for her personal care have very limited time to spend with her. Mum is highly dependent on me for a multitude of reasons and can phone frequently. I visit most days and on occasion more than once. I am reluctant to go on holiday breaks.
About a year ago mum was allocated a social worker and it was this person who suggested the involvement of Crossroads Fife as mum refuses to be involved in any communal facilities. At the time I was sceptical however
mum agreed to give it a try. A weekly visit of two hour sessions was agreed and I am delighted to say that they are highly successful not least of all due to the wonderful work of the support worker. She has built up a very special relationship with my mother and I know mum looks forward to the time she spends with her.
I personally feel relief knowing mum is having such quality time and also knowing the support worker handles situations with great sensitivity. Not only does she support my mother so admirably she is also caring towards me. It is a comfort for me to know there is someone I can talk to if the need arises.
I feel extremely fortunate to have the services and friendship of crossroads and am positive that my mother would say the same were she able to do so. My biggest regret is that crossroads support wasn't in place sooner.
Marjorie Hamilton - May 2017
Heather Bullamore - A Carer’s Perspective
My mum was becoming more and more isolated within her own home as her dementia developed and meant she was struggling to cope with tasks like shopping, handling money and getting out and about. She enjoyed getting out, but her dementia meant she lost confidence in being able to go places.
We were recommended Crossroads Fife by our CPN and to start with it was a once a week visit for 2 hours which was funded by my mum. My mum quickly settled and enjoyed the visits and we were really pleased when, as her condition deteriorated, she was allocated additional hours by her social worker.
The visits made a huge difference to my mum, most importantly, and to my brother and I. My mum was able to go out shopping with the Support Worker, who was able to keep an eye on mum using money correctly, shopping being put away in the correct places and making sure mum was safe and well before she left. They would go to the bank, go out for a scenic drive, all sorts of things. The care that was shown was invaluable; mum's Support Worker at times found mum in a muddle over various things and was able to put right something which could easily have escalated had help not been at hand. On one occasion she stayed well past her allotted time with mum to make sure everything was in order before calling me to let me know what had happened and making sure mum was fine. My brother and I live a long distance from my mum and we were kept informed at all times so we knew what mum had been doing and if any issues needed sorting out. The peace of mind for family members was so appreciated.
Unfortunately, my mum has now moved into a nursing home. However, the time that Crossroads were involved with her meant that she was able to carry on safely in her own home for just that bit longer. We are all very grateful for that.
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Crossroads to anyone. The help they can give means that people can still carry on doing those things they enjoyed when they were more able, giving them much needed independence. The range of services they can offer is so very helpful. The team are very professional, from the office staff through to the carers. They all work as a team and any queries are dealt with quickly and sensitively.
Heather Bullamore - April 2017
My mum was becoming more and more isolated within her own home as her dementia developed and meant she was struggling to cope with tasks like shopping, handling money and getting out and about. She enjoyed getting out, but her dementia meant she lost confidence in being able to go places.
We were recommended Crossroads Fife by our CPN and to start with it was a once a week visit for 2 hours which was funded by my mum. My mum quickly settled and enjoyed the visits and we were really pleased when, as her condition deteriorated, she was allocated additional hours by her social worker.
The visits made a huge difference to my mum, most importantly, and to my brother and I. My mum was able to go out shopping with the Support Worker, who was able to keep an eye on mum using money correctly, shopping being put away in the correct places and making sure mum was safe and well before she left. They would go to the bank, go out for a scenic drive, all sorts of things. The care that was shown was invaluable; mum's Support Worker at times found mum in a muddle over various things and was able to put right something which could easily have escalated had help not been at hand. On one occasion she stayed well past her allotted time with mum to make sure everything was in order before calling me to let me know what had happened and making sure mum was fine. My brother and I live a long distance from my mum and we were kept informed at all times so we knew what mum had been doing and if any issues needed sorting out. The peace of mind for family members was so appreciated.
Unfortunately, my mum has now moved into a nursing home. However, the time that Crossroads were involved with her meant that she was able to carry on safely in her own home for just that bit longer. We are all very grateful for that.
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Crossroads to anyone. The help they can give means that people can still carry on doing those things they enjoyed when they were more able, giving them much needed independence. The range of services they can offer is so very helpful. The team are very professional, from the office staff through to the carers. They all work as a team and any queries are dealt with quickly and sensitively.
Heather Bullamore - April 2017
Marjorie Cleghorn - a Carer's Perspective
I worked full time, had a busy schedule and looked after my mother, who has dementia, and my father who is an amputee. My husband is invaluable as he supports them as well as organising hospital visits, doing shopping runs and being a taxi generally! This really curtailed our lives as we could no longer just go away for the weekend to visit family. We haven't had a holiday in ages as we live in the country; we need to arrange everything as neither parent could cope with buses or even taxis.
Crossroads became involved after I was diagnosed with breast cancer at the start of this year, having survived a brain tumour four years prior to this. I had to go in quickly for surgery and we called Crossroads Fife Central to assist, which they did providing care and companionship for my parents two days a week. We purchase this support, which is ongoing.
This made a difference to us be easing the pressure on ourselves and it meant that I could try and recover without the added worry of my parents.
Now, my life is better than it has been in a while and I would most certainly recommend Crossroads to other people.
Marjorie Cleghorn - November 2016
I worked full time, had a busy schedule and looked after my mother, who has dementia, and my father who is an amputee. My husband is invaluable as he supports them as well as organising hospital visits, doing shopping runs and being a taxi generally! This really curtailed our lives as we could no longer just go away for the weekend to visit family. We haven't had a holiday in ages as we live in the country; we need to arrange everything as neither parent could cope with buses or even taxis.
Crossroads became involved after I was diagnosed with breast cancer at the start of this year, having survived a brain tumour four years prior to this. I had to go in quickly for surgery and we called Crossroads Fife Central to assist, which they did providing care and companionship for my parents two days a week. We purchase this support, which is ongoing.
This made a difference to us be easing the pressure on ourselves and it meant that I could try and recover without the added worry of my parents.
Now, my life is better than it has been in a while and I would most certainly recommend Crossroads to other people.
Marjorie Cleghorn - November 2016
The Gardiner Family
Our life was lived totally around our wee girl Abbie. She did and still does come first, but there was never any time to do be a couple and go out, do the normal mundane things in life like housework, spring cleaning (never thought I’d miss that!), or even alone time where you could watch a DVD or read a book.
We had been using another respite Agency that we were uncomfortable with and no longer felt that it was beneficial to ourselves or Abbie. Through our Social Worker, we were introduced to June from Crossroads. Right from the off we were impressed with the levels of professionalism displayed by June on behalf of Crossroads and how easy it was to develop a potential plan that would work for us. It was proposed that we would use our hours fortnightly and we would go out on a Saturday evening for a meal and a drink or just to go for a drive if we wanted, and Abbie would go out on a Sunday afternoon to maybe the park or softplay – via McDonalds usually! This gave us a great balance, fun and relaxation for us and something for Abbie too. The ladies who work with Abbie have been in place from day one – and Abbie really looks forward to them coming out to spend time with her.
This service makes a huge difference in our lives! David and I hadn’t been out as a couple for over two years prior to our service starting – we had only ever been able to go out separately. The flexibility of the service means that we can plan ahead and make slight changes to the hours on a Saturday or if we have a special event, for example a party or a wedding, we can request additional cover and we’ve never had to miss an event yet! Abbie looks forward to the ladies coming to look after her – in fact we practically get thrown out on a Saturday evening and on a Sunday she goes and gets her bag to show she is ready to go out with Nicola!
Our life is much more relaxed – we now have a more balanced family life thanks to the lovely people at Crossroads. We couldn’t live without this fantastic support service now.
We would absolutely recommend Crossroads to other people – I previously had poor experiences with respite support and was ready to give up on ever finding a solution that would work for us and give us the reassurance that our daughter was being looked after properly when we weren’t around. I have no hesitation in handing her over to the ladies at Crossroads at all and anyone who feels they need this support should not hesitate to consider your services.
Our service is funded through direct payments from Fife Council and this is reviewed annually.
Sharron Gardiner – May 2016
Our life was lived totally around our wee girl Abbie. She did and still does come first, but there was never any time to do be a couple and go out, do the normal mundane things in life like housework, spring cleaning (never thought I’d miss that!), or even alone time where you could watch a DVD or read a book.
We had been using another respite Agency that we were uncomfortable with and no longer felt that it was beneficial to ourselves or Abbie. Through our Social Worker, we were introduced to June from Crossroads. Right from the off we were impressed with the levels of professionalism displayed by June on behalf of Crossroads and how easy it was to develop a potential plan that would work for us. It was proposed that we would use our hours fortnightly and we would go out on a Saturday evening for a meal and a drink or just to go for a drive if we wanted, and Abbie would go out on a Sunday afternoon to maybe the park or softplay – via McDonalds usually! This gave us a great balance, fun and relaxation for us and something for Abbie too. The ladies who work with Abbie have been in place from day one – and Abbie really looks forward to them coming out to spend time with her.
This service makes a huge difference in our lives! David and I hadn’t been out as a couple for over two years prior to our service starting – we had only ever been able to go out separately. The flexibility of the service means that we can plan ahead and make slight changes to the hours on a Saturday or if we have a special event, for example a party or a wedding, we can request additional cover and we’ve never had to miss an event yet! Abbie looks forward to the ladies coming to look after her – in fact we practically get thrown out on a Saturday evening and on a Sunday she goes and gets her bag to show she is ready to go out with Nicola!
Our life is much more relaxed – we now have a more balanced family life thanks to the lovely people at Crossroads. We couldn’t live without this fantastic support service now.
We would absolutely recommend Crossroads to other people – I previously had poor experiences with respite support and was ready to give up on ever finding a solution that would work for us and give us the reassurance that our daughter was being looked after properly when we weren’t around. I have no hesitation in handing her over to the ladies at Crossroads at all and anyone who feels they need this support should not hesitate to consider your services.
Our service is funded through direct payments from Fife Council and this is reviewed annually.
Sharron Gardiner – May 2016
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If you are interested in receiving support yourself or would like to refer someone else, please contact us as follows:
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Crossroads Fife, Buko Tower, Dalton Road, Glenrothes, Fife KY6 2SS
Phone 01592 610540
Crossroads Fife is a Charity Registered in Scotland (SC007781)
Crossroads Fife is a Company Limited by Guarantee (SC178299)
Crossroads Fife is registered with the Care Inspectorate as a Care at Home Service Provider (CS2004079063) - www.scswis.com
Phone 01592 610540
Crossroads Fife is a Charity Registered in Scotland (SC007781)
Crossroads Fife is a Company Limited by Guarantee (SC178299)
Crossroads Fife is registered with the Care Inspectorate as a Care at Home Service Provider (CS2004079063) - www.scswis.com