Cath Cramman is a Rehabilitation Officer at North Tyneside Council’s Crossgates extra care facility in Battle Hill, which is home to 45 residents with a range of care needs – both physical and mental.
Cath, and her colleague Sonia Whittle, have a varied and rewarding job. “On any given day we could be meeting with healthcare professionals, family members or care providers to discuss clients’ needs,” Cath explains.
“We also get out and visit people in their own homes, in residential care and in hospitals.”
Their job involves providing rehabilitation and support to their clients to help them live independently again where possible.
“To me, if they had wings they’d all be fairies or angels,” says resident Sheila Feeney. Sheila, 81, suffered a stroke before moving into Crossgates from her home in Howdon and struggled with basic tasks.
But the care and support she’s received from staff has helped her regain much of her independence.
“I have come on leaps and bounds,” she explains. “I’ll get there and I’ll walk out the door on my own two legs and that’ll be a great day for me when I can do that.”
Another resident, Jane Nugent, 85, has mild dementia and struggles to remember things. Cath recalls: “When Jane first came to us she just sat in the chair happily on her own. Didn’t say a lot, didn’t do a lot. But she can now get out of bed, showering with support – everything is with support – but Jane can now manage these small tasks herself.”
Jane, from Wallsend, adds: “I can make my bed, make a cup of tea and pick things out the cupboard like biscuits.”
Find out more about Crossgates at www.northtyneside.gov.uk
