A disabled teenager has been given a new lease of life after Sovereign Housing Association’s care team installed a new remote control gadget that opens curtains, turns lights on, and controls the TV – all from the same keypad.

Reading teenager Anthony West, 16, born with Hereditary Motor Sensory Neuropathy, a condition affecting the nerves which can in extreme cases result in being confined to a wheelchair, with limited gross and fine motor skills. After his condition deteriorated in recent years, his mother Sue began to feel the strain of the heavy levels of care he needed.

“I was always running up and down stairs every time he called ‘mum’.”

Sovereign’s care team had heard of Anthony’s needs through its local council partners, and offered to install a Possum remote control keypad system to his wheelchair. It proved to be a godsend.

Sue, of Rangewood Avenue, Calcot, says: "It's been the answer to our prayers. It let's him have a bit of normality which I think is so important. He's a teenager, and wants a bit of independence, and for me it means I can have a break."

The Possum works like a remote control unit for household items to allow them to be controlled by the keypad. Almost anything can be adapted, and the unit is fitted with a call bell so Anthony can still call his mum if he gets into difficulty.

Sovereign care centre team manager Chris Skelton says: “It’s amazing how such a small piece of kit can create such a transformation for the Wests. We always assess individual needs before we go out and see if there’s a product that can really help their day-to-day lives.

He adds: “What a lot of people don’t realise is that you don’t have to be a Sovereign tenant to benefit from this service. We keep an eye on the latest products to hit the market, and with funding from our council partners, the quality of life can really improve at little or no cost to the client.”

With greater independence, Anthony and his family are now trying to save £10,000 for a new special motorised wheelchair, and would like to hear from any local charities for help with access to funding. They can email: 8west@tiscali.co.uk

To find out more about Sovereign’s Care Centre products and services, call 01635 552801 or view our website at www.sovereigncareline.co.uk

Published 2 April 2007

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