Daniel’s Story: Care In The Home With Kingdom Healthcare

I was born in Downpatrick on 2nd March 1945 in our family home, and still live here to this day. I have never lived anywhere else. There is something comforting about living in the house where you were born and raised.

My wife Joan and I got married in 1971. Over the years we had four beautiful children, three boys and one girl. We feel blessed every day for the family we have around us.

Working on our farm has brought me pleasure and a few struggles over the years, but I couldn't imagine doing anything else. I love the outdoors and would spend many hours walking the fields with my dogs. With multiple jobs that required my attention, I was always able to find peace of mind in those daily routines.

In later years, my grandchildren would join me on walks. I would tell them stories of life growing up on the farm and the adventures I had in my younger days. Sharing these stories helped bond with my grandchildren, giving them a glimpse of how rural life was in times gone by.

A few days before my 65th birthday, I was unable to get out of bed. I later learned that I'd taken a stroke. Without warning, my world had been turned upside-down.

My active lifestyle was transformed into something unrecognisable. I couldn’t feed or wash independently, and my family couldn’t understand me when I made simple requests. When I needed to go to the toilet, it was up to Joan to tend to my needs.

The hospital staff were friendly but also incredibly busy tending to other patients' needs. With constant staff rotation, new nurses were unaware of the care needs I had after my stroke.

I knew that Joan could not take care of me on her own. Although it depressed me, I feared that a nursing home would be my only option. Worries like these caused me to slip into depression and grow anxious about how my life would be for the foreseeable future.

At that time, care in the home wasn’t something I had considered but, thankfully, someone else did.

Kingdom Healthcare & Daniel Today

With a care in the home service we can trust, it means that Joan feels less stressed. She can drive me through the fields to see my cattle and sheep. I can feed my dogs and enjoy family events, like my grandchildren's birthday parties.

The Kingdom Healthcare staff treat me with dignity and respect while supporting vital daily tasks.  They understand that some days are better than others but go out of their way to put a smile on my face by the time they leave.

I still have Kingdom Healthcare carers calling with me twice-a-day, and their presence has become an integral part of my life.  By providing regular face-to-face connection and conversation, I feel supported through my condition. The quality of care is second to none, and I've been fortunate to have familiar faces care for me since the beginning. 

My care staff are friends whom I have grown fond of. They are incredibly professional and go out of their way to ensure my life is as normal as possible.

I genuinely feel that care in the home has helped rebuild my life in a way that I never thought possible. I would be lost without them.