Joyce waited an agonising two days before going to hospital with a badly broken arm. She couldn’t just go to the hospital – she had her younger brother to think about.
As the sole carer for Lenny, who has epilepsy and learning difficulties, she was worried about leaving him alone. He was unable to do everyday tasks like getting dressed and feeding himself.
But after two days of pain she had little choice.
The British Red Cross met Joyce for the first time when she was discharged from the hospital and referred to our support at home service.
We were able to help her not just through her recovery, but find more support for her and Lenny from other services in the long-term too.
But with six consecutive years of budget cuts and an increasing demand on health and social care services, the system in England has become unsustainable. The care people like Joyce and Lenny need, is at risk.
