I sustained a spinal cord injury earlier this year and ended up in Pinderfields Spinal Injury Centre. The property I was living in prior to my injury was unsuitable for me to be discharged to. It was a shared ownership property, with other family members, and so was sold whilst I was in hospital.  I was effectively homeless.

In the timeframe I had, I was struggling to find anywhere accessible and suited to my requirements and so it was looking like I would be discharged to a care home, which I really didn’t want to happen. Thankfully I found out about the Aspire property in Wakefield, which was close enough that friends and family could regularly visit once I had moved in.

Having somewhere accessible and relatively local was a big relief and helped me so much. When I moved in, I was pleasantly surprised at how nice the flat was and the kitchen, in particular, felt very high spec and as I later found out, was all brand new. The rise and fall worktop and hob and the way the shelving could be pulled out of the cupboards made my life so much easier. This was particularly noticeable as during my time in the flat my mobility improved and so by the time I moved out I was mainly using my crutches inside. This meant being able to adjust the worktop higher made it still the right height for me, as well as when I had been in a wheelchair.

The wetroom was also nice and modern and fresh feeling and, because of to its layout, no problem for me to use, whether in my wheelchair or on my crutches.

I only lived in the Aspire property for a few months, but it was exactly what I needed as it meant I could be discharged from hospital to a safe and accessible environment.  Then when I found my new place, it gave me the time to have some  decorating and improvements done, without the hassle or pressure of having to live in while the works were being done. 

I’m very grateful to Aspire for the opportunity to live in the property which gave me the time and space to find my own place. I can’t recommend the charity and service it provides enough.

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