A woman whose son is supported by Positive Futures to live in his own home after 12 years in Muckamore Abbey has told the BBC that her family’s life has changed so much for the better as a result.
Dawn Jones, whose son Timothy now has his own bungalow near her home and lives with round-the-clock support, told the Good Morning Ulster programme on Radio Ulster that he had gone from “walking with his shoulders down and head bowed” to “walking upright” since he left hospital.
Timothy enjoys outings with his staff and eating his favourite McDonald’s meal in the local park. Recently, he has visited the Exploris aquarium in Portaferry and the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum in Cultra.
To prepare for his move to the community, Positive Futures staff spent several months working alongside staff in the hospital to get to know Timothy.
Dawn said: “He looks happier, he looks more in control of his environment. He has changed so much. He’s non-verbal, but he’s starting to make some noises, which is promising.”
She added: “My life and the family’s life has changed so much for the better. “We’re all happy, we realise that Timothy is safe. He’s in a happy environment. Life is good now.”
Our Chief Executive, Agnes Lunny, told the programme: “Positive Futures has a genuine commitment to listening to people whose needs are a little bit different to the rest of ours.””This is not a miracle, this is not magic, this is the result of very hard work.”
She added that anyone could be supported to live in the community with the right support from the right people.
