Maya’s history

Maya is a woman who has been diagnosed with Schizophrenia and also has Personality Disorder traits. She suffered a traumatic upbringing and her mother struggled with mental health illness.

She spent time in care as a child, and as an adult, could not cope with her symptoms whilst living in the community. Maya has spent lots of time requiring inpatient care over the years.

When Maya came to us

Maya came to us, sectioned under the Mental Health Act, after several years in a mental health rehabilitation unit. In the past, she had been discharged into the community but soon relapsed and required support again.

Maya’s care team felt that she needed a stepping stone, between inpatient support and living alone therefore referred to Ty Alarch. The staff knew that Maya would need some intensive support during the transition to give her the best chance of success.

Maya often refused medication, needed support to improve her daily living skills and lacked the confidence to utilise leave and access the community. Her symptoms of paranoia and auditory hallucinations made it very hard for her to trust new people, as a result, she often refused to tend to some of her physical healthcare needs.

Maya’s care

The Ty Alarch team reviewed Maya’s care plans and took time to understand her symptoms, triggers and needs. She had reviews with the Consultant from Cygnet St Teilo House, our nearby High Support Inpatient Rehabilitation (Level 2) Service.

Due to Maya’s uncertainty around new people, it took time for her to build trust with the staff. They were patient and gave her space when she needed it. Staff treated each day as a fresh start, knowing that Maya’s mood and paranoia could often be very up and down. In time, she started to become more trusting of her regular team.

The Ty Alarch staff knew it would be crucial for Maya to self-medicate, and do so consistently. With an understanding of her preferences and triggers, they took a relaxed, no-pressure approach. They always gave her a choice to take her medication – and accepted her decision if she said no, trusting that she would return after some time to think on it.

With Maya feeling comfortable and trusting around the staff, they sought to boost her confidence, especially around community leave. Staff initially showed her around the area, making sure to select times they knew would be quieter. They would walk or drive to supermarkets or coffee shops, to help her feel more familiar with the town. The team used a staged approach to reducing this support, including steps like shadowing, until Maya was happy and able to go out alone. This was a huge achievement for her, and a step forward in her independence.

Maya started to come out of her shell, having more conversations with the team and other residents, and opening up about herself. The team encouraged her to be vocal about things that she wanted – for example, meals she’d like to try to cook, or décor for the home.

The team supported Maya in learning to cook new meals, as on arrival her skills were very limited. She started to make her own decisions about her diet, and was able to make healthy choices whilst doing her food shopping.

Maya benefitted greatly from the move to a smaller, community-facing service. It allowed her to make progress that she had never been able to make before, and achieve things that seemed out of reach. It has given her the opportunity to really integrate with the other residents, team and community whilst giving her more privacy and a safe space.

“I am so proud of what she has achieved. Looking at when she arrived to now – the difference is enormous”Service manager

Maya today

Maya is absolutely thriving at Ty Alarch and is no longer detained under the Mental Health Act. She is happy, comfortable and exceeding everyone’s expectations of what she can achieve. Her confidence has blossomed and her kind and caring nature has been able to shine through.

Every weekend, Maya gets involved with a group cooking session for Sunday lunch, afterwards, she washes up and cleans the kitchen. She enjoys popping into the local charity shop in town to buy new books to read.

Maya no longer refuses medication and is much more accepting of support with her physical health needs.

“I have seen Maya* thrive since moving to Ty Alarch. She engages far more openly in the homely setting and has built excellent relationships with the staff and our relationship has improved massively following her move here.
I don’t think any of us who support her thought the move here would go so well – but she is thriving in the setting.
All the staff are committed to meeting her needs in a person-centred way, encouraging her independence and skills and it is lovely to hear she enjoys time in the local community. I can’t think of a better setting for her at this time.”External health professional

*Name has been changed to protect her identity