Elke is a vibrant young woman embracing life to the fullest while living with Hypoxic Ischaemic Encephalopathy (HIE).
What can we tell you about Elke? Elke is a vibrant, young woman who brightens the day of those who cross her path. She pushes boundaries and always has something fun to look forward to. We think that her personalised recruitment advert summaries her very well:
“Whilst working with this client expect to be covered in glitter, as she loves arts and crafts. Ideally, you will share her passion for Marvel, Disney, and giraffes. She has great taste in music, including favourites like Muse, Coldplay, and Gary Barlow.
Something that is non-debatable is that you must be a lover of friendly large dogs as this client has two! If you’re a music lover and enjoy a bit of sparkle, working with this client will be an ideal match for you!”
Elke has hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE), a type of brain injury caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain before or shortly after birth. In the UK, 1 in 1,000 babies are diagnosed with HIE, which affects areas of the brain responsible for motor coordination, learning, and memory.
Elke also lives with scoliosis, experiences seizures, depends on oxygen, and relies on PEG feeding with a mic-key button.
An accident during labour left Elke needing complex, round-the-clock care. Something that neither she nor her family let hold them back.
Elke and her mum, Glynnis, came to Superior Healthcare in 2017.
Since then, we’ve worked closely with her family and a dedicated team of healthcare professionals to provide a care package that meets Elke’s complex daily needs.
Commissioned by the ICB, this care package includes night nurses and carers who deliver 252 hours of support each week.
There is always another adventure to be had, and Elke wants to experience it all.
Earlier this year, Elke’s care team climbed onboard MS Iona at Southampton and sailed to Vigo, Spain before heading to Lisbon, Portugal. Whilst onboard she enjoyed the spa, entertainment, and restaurants and got front-row seats to watch Gary Barlow in concert!
This was a once-in-a-lifetime trip that Superior Healthcare was incredibly pleased to have been able to support. Memories were made, for Elke and her family.
“Superior Healthcare have enabled us to do the most ridiculous things…who else would take three members of staff on a cruise for two weeks.” Glynnis, Elke’s Mum.
Knowing Elke’s love of giraffes, we arranged for her to feed some for her birthday. Elke, her Mum, Glynnis and her two carers took a trip to the wonderful Wingham Wildlife Park, where they met penguins, parrots and of course the giraffes.
The care package that Superior Healthcare provides means that Elke can go out independently, and we can fulfil her needs and wants, without her family.
“Having a care plan and care package in place allows Elke to be independent of me and for me to be independent of her. It’s really important that we are two separate people, part of the same family.” Glynnis, Elke’s Mum.
When we caught up with Elke’s Mum, Glynnis, she told us what Superior Healthcare means to her and her family, and what difference having a care plan with us has made.
“Superior Healthcare have pandered to all of Elke’s needs. If Elke wants to go out, they make sure she can. They enable her to do things that other care companies weren’t able to do.”
“We’ve had a number of providers, everybody says they tailor the package of care to suit the person, but you’d be hard pushed to find anybody that tailors the care to suit the person as much as Superior do.”
“Elke enjoys the consistency. She has five or six carers that she sees regularly, every week.”
Elke isn’t defined by hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy or her care needs; she’s a vibrant young person who values great company, great music, new experiences — and, most importantly, having fun!
Whether you’re seeking day, night, or live-in or 24/7 nursing care we can help.
To get started, make a referral or call 01227 774873.
Hypoxic Ischaemic Encephalopathy (HIE) is a type of brain injury that occurs when the brain doesn’t receive enough oxygen and blood flow for a period of time.
This condition is most commonly associated with birth complications, however, it can also occur in adults due to cardiac arrest, respiratory failure, or other severe events that interrupt the oxygen supply to the brain.
HIE can cause varying degrees of brain damage, depending on factors like the length of time the brain was deprived of oxygen, the severity of the interruption, and the areas of the brain affected.
The damage can lead to a range of symptoms, including developmental delays, cognitive impairments, physical disabilities, cerebral palsy and epilepsy.
There are a handful of charities that support people whose lives have been touched by hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy, we have listed a few below:
Peeps HIE – Support for parents, families and friends of those who have experienced an H.I.E. event.
Cerebra – A national charity dedicated to helping children with brain conditions and their families.
Headway – Charity focused on improving life after a brain injury.
