Care home staff 'very proud' as autistic woman undergoes transformation

Staff at a care home in Worthing have said they are “very proud” after one of their residents who has autism and severe learning difficulties, changed from being very angry and withdrawn to greeting them with a smile.

Leanna Carey

Leanna Carey, who lives at Coneyhurst Lodge in Worthing, used to be a very angry person who didn’t communicate and tended to stay in her bedroom and keep herself to herself.

Staff at the care home for people with learning disabilities discussed how best to address her needs and support Leanna.

Coneyhurst Lodge’s deputy manager, Daniel Adams, said: “She was a very challenging lady who could not express her needs. She could get very angry, was very withdrawn, and staff often did not really know how to work with her because of her communication difficulties.

"But over the past year, Leanna has come on leaps and bounds. She now says more than 30 different words, and is really expressing herself.

“She has changed from a very tense, closed, person who staff had some tremendous difficulties with to being someone who greets you in the morning with a lovely smile.”

He revealed that whereas before she used to get angry a lot, “now she smiles, she sings, she is much happier, and there has been a significant reduction in the number of behaviour-related incidents”.

Staff have found her trust in them has really grown, and she is now coming to staff when she wants some food or wants to do some activities, which she never used to do. She also much more comfortable walking around the house, rather than confining herself to her room.

Leanna’s favourite activities are messy play and sensory play, story time and singing nursery rhymes. but, more than anything else, she loves water and often walks around the home with water guns.”

Leanna’s mum has also noticed a big change in Leanna’s behaviour, and the two are spending a lot more time together.

Mr Adams added: “This is not just a really great story for Leanna and her family, but for the staff here too, who have worked hard to help bring about this transformation, and who have all seen such a positive change in Leanna, who is becoming more confident, more independent and who is generally much happier, which is so rewarding to see.”