Prader-Willi syndrome Oliver’s incredible journey to greater independence
Oliver is a person we support at Esmer House, our specialist Prader-Willi syndrome residential care home located in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire.
Oliver has both Prader-Willi syndrome and autism. Together, these conditions have presented many challenges for Oliver – especially around food.
Before joining Esmer House, Oliver’s meals weren’t all calorie-controlled, meaning he easily gained weight. His weight gain resulted in mental health struggles which prevented Oliver from wanting to participate in activities that helped promote his independence.
Looking at Oliver now, you wouldn’t think he’s the same person – he’s thriving!
Since joining Esmer House, his support team have worked closely with him to develop his independence and life skills. But, his accomplishments don’t stop there! When Oliver joined us, he wanted to reduce his weight, and he’s done just that! He’s also eating healthier and exercising more regularly.
Overcoming a challenging transition
When we first met Oliver, the world was navigating an unprecedented situation. The COVID-19 pandemic meant everyone was adjusting to a strange and scary circumstance – including Oliver.
Originally set to join Esmer House in early 2020, the strict lockdown rules delayed Oliver’s move until July 2020. This had a big impact on Oliver, as he was unhappy in his previous home and was eager to begin a fresh start.
When the time came for him to join us, Oliver’s transition to Esmer House was quite unique! Still in lockdown, government guidelines restricted us from visiting Oliver in his previous home.
Feeling comfortable in an environment you’re familiar with is important for so many people we support. Oliver is no different and these circumstances added an extra challenge to his transition.
This meant we could only meet him outdoors in public parks, which was particularly challenging for Oliver as he would be meeting new people away from the environment he was familiar in.
Situations like this can be problematic for people with autism and learning disabilities associated with Prader-Willi syndrome, because they disrupt routine and take them out of environments they’re comfortable with.
Understanding how difficult this unfamiliar situation would have been for Oliver, our team ensured he was comfortable throughout his transition. Based on his needs, our team met with him a few times, then eventually, Oliver visited Esmer House to get a feel for his new home.
Oliver must have been impressed with Esmer House…because just a week later, he moved in!
Making Oliver feel at home
Oliver faced challenges with his previous provider as his support team didn’t fully understanding the impact Prader-Willi syndrome had on his appetite and food intake.
One symptom of Prader-Willi syndrome is an excessive appetite. This, combined with low muscle tone, means individuals with the condition can rapidly gain weight very easily if their diet and exercise isn’t correctly managed. At his previous home, Oliver‘s meals weren’t all appropriately calorie controlled, which led to him gaining an unhealthy amount of weight.
Because of this weight gain, Oliver started struggling with his mental health, and often found it difficult to sleep at night. Becoming increasingly withdrawn, Oliver struggled to venture outdoors, often preferring to stay indoors and play on his iPad.
Spending less time outdoors, Oliver’s exercise significantly dropped, which is key for someone with Prader-Willi syndrome to help maintain a healthy weight.
Oliver’s support team ensured the creation of a person-centred care plan tailored to his individual needs, to help overcome these challenges – supporting Oliver to gradually become more confident and achieve his goals.
To help make Oliver’s transition to Esmer House as positive an experience as possible, his new support team helped him get settled into his new room and make it his own. Also, to Oliver’s delight, they organised a moving in tea party with lots of banners and balloons! Oliver’s eyes lit up when he saw it and he instantly felt welcomed by everyone.
At his tea party, Oliver met all his new housemates, which helped boost his confidence and lay the foundations for building meaningful relationships.
Tailoring Oliver’s care to his needs
As an autistic person, Oliver feels more comfortable working to a structured routine each day – something that is often very important amongst the autism community.
By working closely with Oliver to understand his needs, his support team soon learned his interests and passions, and supported him to schedule them into his day. Together, they designed a bespoke plan ensuring Oliver could do all the activities he loved.
Oliver now takes part in lots of exciting activities with his support team. He regularly enjoys going to the pantomime, local cinema, swimming baths, and listing to music at home – while pulling off his best dance moves!
Oliver also likes to get creative with arts and crafts. He loves to draw, and his passion really shines through! He even hand-makes birthday cards for his housemates, friends and family.
Eating a healthy, balanced diet
Due to Oliver’s struggles around food in his previous home, his support team worked closely with him to ensure he was making healthy choices and eating the right amount of calories to achieve his weightloss goal.
After discovering Oliver’s favourite foods, his support team designed a structured meal plan with him. This included calorie-controlled healthy food choices, but still left some wiggle room for Oliver to enjoy a few of his favourite treats in moderation.
Keeping the importance of routine in mind, the team supported Oliver to establish set mealtimes throughout the day and ensured he knew in advance what he’d be eating.
Food also held the key to unlocking another one of Oliver’s passions – cooking! A budding chef, he was keen to start cooking healthy dishes for everyone at Esmer House. His support team helped him weigh out ingredients, then an eager Oliver was left to make the magic happen!
Stirring up some delicious dishes, Oliver’s whipped up flapjacks, Slimming World cookies, spaghetti, lasagne, and healthy curries – and they all went down a treat!
Becoming more independent
Since joining us, Oliver’s independence is soaring. When he first arrived at Esmer House, he was quiet and wasn’t keen on doing activities around the house or going out into the community.
Fast forward, and he’s now a completely different person! Always on the go and leading a fulfilled life, Oliver’s made real changes in his life. To get him there, Oliver’s support team have encouraged him to gradually engage with different activities to build his confidence and develop key life skills.
With his new skills and vibrant confidence, he’s now fully independent! Oliver does his own washing, makes decisions about what activities he does, and even visits other Voyage Care services to grab a cuppa with friends he’s made.
Oliver’s also now a regular out in the community. His support team knew he could venture out on his own, but challenges at his previous home had dented his confidence and were holding him back. His support team slowly encouraged him to take part in more activities around the home, before gradually transitioning him out into the community.
As Oliver got more comfortable with being away from the service, he soon spread his wings and transformed into a social butterfly! Since finding the confidence to integrate with his local community, Oliver’s progress has been amazing. He’s now picking what activities he wants to do outdoors and particularly loves going out for walks, feeding the ducks, and exploring the shops in Nottingham.
Achieving amazing heights
He’s also fulfilled a long-lived dream of going to Disneyland Paris! Once Oliver had set this goal, two members of his support team organised the holiday – Oliver couldn’t contain his excitement. Together, they travelled on the Eurostar and enjoyed five days in Disneyland heaven.
During the holiday, Oliver did lots of walking, enjoyed some of his favourite foods, watched the nighttime fireworks show, and had lots of fun on the rides – the Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast being the pick of the bunch!
Leaving the best to last, one of Oliver’s biggest goals was volunteering at a charity farm. As a huge animal lover, getting the opportunity to help lots of furry friends was something he couldn’t turn down.
Oliver’s increased independence opened the door to his volunteering opportunity. His support team drop him off every Friday, and he’s cared for by a member of the team at the farm. While he’s at the farm, Oliver helps them look after the animals and tidy the allotments.
Even though he’s achieved so much, this is just the start for Oliver! His challenges before joining us prevented him seeking out opportunities and accomplishing goals like this. With the help of our person-centred approach, we’re empowering Oliver to achieve his goals and live his best life!
Future goals
Oliver is so proud of his achievements and so are we! What he’s achieved at Esmer House has completely transformed his life, and there’s much more to come.
Keen to see him increase his independence further, Oliver’s support team will continue encouraging him to participate in more activities around the house, supporting him to further develop his independence and confidence.
Visiting Disneyland Paris has well and truly given Oliver the holiday buzz! He’s already set his next big goal – he wants to visit America! Oliver’s ambitious… and he’s even hoping to meet his hero Arnold Schwarzenegger.
With the support of his expert team at Esmer House, Oliver is on track to accomplish more goals in the future and continue living a fulfilled life.
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