Fiona Curzon at her Fulham home
Residents who need help recovering following surgery can rely on specialist "reablement" support from the council for up to six weeks.
"We work hard to help H&F residents regain their independence after being in hospital," said Cllr Ben Coleman, Deputy Leader of H&F, "Our expert reablement team has a great track record of keeping people safe and comfortable in their own homes."
The team was recently rated 'outstanding' by the country's Care Quality Commission (CQC), who regulate care nationally.
'They were just perfect'
Fulham resident and actor, Fiona Curzon, 76, recently received three weeks of reablement care after breaking her femur in two places.
"I slipped while wearing heels on a doormat outside a friend's house," Fiona said. "I actually walked home on the break, with help from my husband and my friend."
"Four hours later, I was still in a great deal of pain. That's when we called an ambulance and they immediately took me into Chelsea and Westminster hospital."
Fiona had broken her leg – and it required surgery, as well as physical therapy. She stayed in the hospital for more than a week.
"I was on crutches for a good three months because of the severity of the break," she added. "They wouldn't allow me to put full weight on it for about 10 weeks, and I couldn't go home until I was able to climb the stairs. But I was absolutely determined to reach that goal."
Daily visits
Once she returned home, H&F's reablement team visited Fiona once a day, helping with personal hygiene and ensuring she was ready to start the day.
"They were just perfect, they treated you with the exact care and respect that you treat yourself with. They were utterly charming and absolute poppets," she said.
"I'm quite a private person – and very independent. They respected that and would come once in the morning to help me get ready for the day and then leave. It was the simple things, like I couldn't bend to reach my feet or dry my back, and they were just super."
This wasn't the first time Fiona has met the reablement team.
"They helped my husband once before, after he had treatment on his knee. So, we knew that the team was very good. They came in twice a day to support him at first, and everyone was terrific. It is an excellent team."
Supporting residents across H&F
You can read more below about how our outstanding reablement team provides personalised support to get residents back on their feet.
Josephine's reablement care experience.
Oliver's and Patrick's reablement care experiences.
Gerardo's reablement care experience.
Free home care
As well as excellent reablement, H&F is the only council to provide free care at home to any resident who needs it and has done so since 2014.
Residents who need help with everyday tasks such as daily hygiene, cleaning or shopping get this support entirely free of charge. In other places, this can cost from £15 to £30 an hour.
If you would like to find out how to get free care at home, please visit our 'Help at home' page.
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