BIRT Redford Court - The Disabilities Trust

Sarah’s StoryAged 19 years old, Sarah sustained a diffuse axonal injury in a road traffic accident. Her injuries left her with a range of neuropsychological and physical problems that required 24 hour care.Reliant on a wheelchair, Sarah suffered from a seriesof health difficulties, including sensory impairmentin her limbs, speech difficulties and ataxia, as well aspresenting challenging and aggressive behaviour whichincluded fire setting. There was also a history ofalcohol and substance misuse. Sarah’s relationship withher family had broken down, with her children beingplaced in care.Before entering the BIRT continuum, Sarah resided in 11 differentplacements, including hospital and family care, nursing homes,mental health units and hostels for abused women. Whenshe was admitted to BIRT’s assessment service at Fen House,Cambridgeshire, she presented as highly aggressive and noncompliant,requiring 14 hours one-to-one supervised care perday, increasing to two-to-one when accessing the community.Sarah transferred to Redford Court to be nearer familyand friends After a period of rehabilitation that includedphysiotherapy and speech and language therapy, she movedinto an independent living flat within the grounds of RedfordCourt. Sarah made significant gains in her physical functioning,speech intelligibility and daily living skills. There was areduction in the frequency and intensity of verbal and physicalaggression, and there were no further episodes of fire setting.Eight years after sustaining her injuries, Sarah has moved to asupported community home to be even more independentand closer to her family and has recently married.10