Story 2: Thanking our lucky stars

Story  2  Thankful!

Our MHSOP Support Service offers short term support to patients and their relatives who have been discharged from the older people's mental health wards or to people who are being supported by the community mental health teams. It offers an independent, listening ear for patients, or their relatives/carers, to explore a wide variety of issues they may have, and is able to provide information and signposting support onto a wide range of community services which helps to increase their overall physical and emotional wellbeing.

Hearing feedback like this it really does reaffirm what an amazing lifeline it is.

"I am writing to say a very big thank you to you for your telephone calls to me when I was feeling so low, experiencing a very stressful and traumatic time.  I was at rock bottom, not functioning, unable to cope with the way things were and I was feeling, so very worried about my husband and missing him terribly.  I felt so alone, even with family and good friends around, but I felt I was burdening them with my feelings. My heart is broken, my husband and I have been together for 56 years, I felt there was no one who understood how I was feeling….. I cannot explain the emotional pain I was going through watching the awful decline in his mental and physical health and my own descent into not coping with everyday life. Talking to you Linda has helped me greatly….  You were a stranger to me, and I was able to open up to how I was feeling.  Your compassion, empathy, understanding and support has helped me greatly.  Although I have a long way to go and a long way ahead, talking it over with you has been an immense help.  I am now feeling stronger, and you have helped me cope with the life changes ahead of me.  My emotions are on a rollercoaster and my life has changed dramatically but hopefully now I will be able to be strong for both my husband and myself.

I feel your service has been invaluable to me and will be to others going through traumatic times.

Thank you so very much for everything."

For more information about the service :

Advocacy in Hospitals | Age UK Nottingham & Nottinghamshire

Advocacy in Care Homes | Age UK Nottingham & Nottinghamshire