ABSTRACT
I drive up the steep hill to the grand old house that once was the home and the surgery of the village doctor. How sick patients ever got up there, before the days of the car, I’ll never know. The house is now the home of five people with learning disabilities. Walking towards the house, I see Tom peeking out of the window, and as I go to the back door which leads to the kitchen, he is waiting there to give me a warm handshake at this the start of my shift. Tom is unable to speak so I assume this is his way of saying ‘hello’. Since I started working here eighteen months ago, there has never been a day when I haven’t looked forward to my day’s work. Each day brings unpredictability and variety. And today, it looks as though Tom is in good form; hopefully there will be no hitting out at others today. Also in the kitchen are my two colleagues and they are busy preparing breakfast for the residents. They all greet me. One says it’s great to see me; we haven’t shared a shift for some time and we work very well together. I fill the kettle to make coffee for everyone there. Aisling is sat at the table after having her breakfast and I know for sure she will not refuse a cup of coffee. That is her delight and her problem. She will often drink too much and if you try to restrict her she will become aggressive. We take time to sit with our coffee and discuss what type of activities we can do in the day ahead and who will do what with whom. Because most of the people who live in this house are diagnosed with autism, we have procedures and routines that we have to stick to in order to create some predictability and consistency in their lives. Sudden change can lead to mayhem.
