Robin's story

Becoming isolated at home

Following an illness and subsequent stay in hospital, doctors recommended that Robin (72) should go out walking as part of his recovery – to help improve his mobility and increase his confidence. Unfortunately, due to the time spent dealing with his illness, Robin found that he'd become extremely anxious about leaving his home, and so getting up and going for a walk on his own felt like an impossible task.

The longer he'd spend at home, the worse the problem would get, until he found himself becoming isolated and cut off from his community. Thankfully, Robin was put in touch with Royal Voluntary Service, and we were able to pair him up with Cletus, a volunteer to help support his recovery at home.

Support that comes to your door

Thanks to our Supporting Your Recovery service, we were able to help Robin to get back on his feet, with volunteer, Cletus, collecting shopping and prescriptions, helping him around the home, and setting targets and goals for him to regain his independence. Then, when he was ready and able, Cletus encouraged Robin to go out with him for little walks and to fetch shopping from the supermarket.

Small steps, big confidence

While it may sound like something simple, for Robin it was the start of him regaining his confidence to get back out into the community.

Looking for support recovering after an illness?

If you or someone you love is struggling with confidence or mobility after an illness or hospital stay, you don't have to manage alone. Royal Voluntary Service's Supporting Your Recovery service offers practical, at-home help to rebuild independence, one step at a time.