Penny Bromham has been part of the Helping Hands family since July 2017 and remains one of our lovely customers from Neath, South Wales. Penny is supported with her day-to-day life with cerebral palsy and requires full-time assistance with showering, dressing, household chores and transport. Alongside her cerebral palsy, Penny also lives with short-term memory loss and this often leads to increased levels of stress in her life. With her wonderful carer Kathy, she is fully supported to navigate life alongside her unique challenges.
Penny isn’t defined by her condition, however, and she is described as being a ‘social butterfly’ who enjoys a variety of different interests such as swimming, yoga, country walks and wheelchair dancing! Clearly, Penny doesn’t let her condition hold her back from living life to the fullest.
A great example of how Penny is getting out there is her newfound passion for wheelchair dancing. Her friendly carers scouted out a local dance class for wheelchair users which could be a great new hobby for Penny to enjoy. She now attends regularly, has enormous fun at the classes, and has made new connections and friends with whom she now keeps in touch outside of classes. She’s often found WhatsApp-ing them on her Chrome Book and discussing the latest dance moves.
Most inspirational of all is Penny having worked at her local Tesco for the past 15 years! While her condition may make it much more difficult for Penny to carry out tasks in the workplace that come easily to others, she overcomes her limitations, shows up, and clocks into work – every day. With her Helping Hands carers and family there to support her at all times with condition-led care, Penny continues to live independently and safely.
Here at Helping Hands, we’re all about getting to know our customers and their stories. Customers like Penny are the reason why our inspirational carers do what they do every day and we love making a difference in people’s lives with our live-in care and visiting care. Her carer Kathy and other members of the team do all they can to enhance Penny’s life and provide treasured companionship, care and encouragement.
Take a look at the video below to get to know Penny a little more.