A grandparent’s story

“As my grandson grew older, and with his weight spiralling out of control and his frequent self-harm, his parents and his close relatives were finding it more and more difficult to cope. It was obvious that he needed specialist care. Although, with him being 22 years old, we all felt that it may have been too late to find him a suitable placement. It was thus a huge relief when he was accepted for a permanent residency at Bishops Corner, a PWS specialist home.

As most people in a similar situation will acknowledge, there is a huge amount of guilt and sense of failure attached to making this decision. Our joy at finding my grandson a suitable placement was thus initially tinged with a great deal of sadness and worry that this change of circumstances would have a negative effect on him.We all knew that we had to put our own emotions to one side, as we had to do what we believed to be best for him, no matter how upset we might be at losing him. Thankfully, any concerns that we might have had were to be assuaged in the months ahead after his move to Bishops Corner."

"We were assured at the start that he would fit in well and would undergo a transformation at Bishops Corner, but none of us could believe how dramatic that change turned out to be. My grandson desperately needed an active social life to broaden his experience and to help his growth into a more mature young man. The other residents not only readily accepted him into their fold, but also taught him that there are social limits. This has helped him to become a much more social person, able to mix freely and to have respect for others’ needs as well as his own.

The staff at Bishops Corner have been absolutely brilliant at catering for the residents’ various needs and providing them with a whole range of activities for their enjoyment and wellbeing. Their tolerance and patience is second to none. The team have such a pleasant, friendly and truly loving manner, which creates an atmosphere at Bishops Corner that is secure, comfortable and peaceful for the residents and thus also reassuring to their families.

Incredible though it may seem, in just over 15 months living at Bishops Corner my grandson’s weight has dropped from around 24 stone to around 12 stone, and he no longer needs treatment for diabetes. This was a very pleasant shock for all of our family, and was far more than our most optimistic expectations. We know that he does not miss out on meals but follows a carefully controlled diet. My grandson is happy, his behaviour has improved enormously and he enjoys a very active life with his newfound friends. We can honestly say that this residency at Bishops Corner is the very best thing that could have happened to him and the wonderful staff there have our very deepest gratitude.”