Alison and Bonnie's story

Alison and Bonnie

“I found out about Shared Lives through my sister who was a Shared Lives Carer.

She looked after a young girl at the time and through her I met Bonnie’s mum. She had seen how well I was interacting with the young girl and asked if I’d ever thought about changing career.

Bonnie came to live with me in 2007, she has long term support needs. With the help of the Shared Lives team I made some alterations to my home, including having a wet room installed, a hoist and a ramp by the back door.

Bonnie goes to day care most days and she sees her mum a lot, visiting home twice a week too. She enjoys day care, especially the sensory elements and the team are very fond of her. At weekends we do lots together, she really enjoys swimming.

We visit friends, have picnics, and take trips to the Forest of Dean. We recently took Bonnie for a trip to Portugal too, there were a couple of other young girls with us and they made a fuss of her which I think she liked.”

How has being a carer impacted your life? 

“In my previous job I used to work long hours. Since becoming a Shared Lives carer I’ve been able to spend more time at home which really helped when my elderly parents needed my support. I was able to be there for them whilst Bonnie was at day care, and that’s not something I could have done before.”

What would you say to someone who was thinking about being a Shared Lives carer?

“I’d say definitely consider it. I’ve met lots of fellow Shared Lives carers who are all very nice. There is a very good vetting procedure and I’ve been very well supported by the Shared Lives team.”