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"I was really worried about how I would cope at home because I was in no state to reach the shops and couldn’t carry anything – I thought I’d be all at sea.”
But then the hospital contacted the British Red Cross and very soon a care in the home volunteer came to visit Max on the ward.
Invaluable support
Max remembers: “The volunteer said that she could do all the running around I needed for about six weeks, by which time I would be in a position where I could do more for myself.
Once I was home, she visited me every two weeks and her help was invaluable. She drove me to the supermarket and pushed my wheelchair round the aisles so I could do my shopping.
“It was a tremendous help, not only physically but also emotionally, because it meant that – for one day – I was actually out of the house and talking to people. Depression did play a part in my life in those first few weeks and her visits just helped no end. They gave me something to look forward to and to structure my week around.”
Feeling stronger
A few months on, Max is feeling much stronger and has rediscovered his appetite. He also recently went for an interview and may soon be starting some part-time work. He said: “For the first time in two years, the future for me is on the up!”
Lucy Scales, service co-ordinator, added: “I made some of the initial visits to Max just after he first came home. When I first saw him, he looked so much older and he was in a lot of pain. Since then, he has made an amazing recovery – by the time the visits ended, he was a totally different person.”
More information on the service in Somerset
Become a care in the home volunteer
Learn more about first aid
Donate
History of the Red Cross | 
