For Asher and his family, overnight support provides something invaluable: peace of mind.
Born with a complex medical condition that causes developmental delay and low muscle tone (hypotonia), Asher requires support with many aspects of daily life. He uses a wheelchair, relies on others to support his mobility and receives all of his nutrition and hydration through a gastrojejunostomy (GJ) tube due to severe reflux and the risk of aspiration.
Despite the challenges he faces, Asher is a happy, sociable and playful boy who enjoys music, spending time with family and friends, watching videos on his iPad and attending school.
Life at Home
Asher lives with his mum, dad, two sisters and Ralphie, the family dog. Family life is incredibly important to him, and he enjoys spending time with his wider family, including his grandmother and auntie, who also play a role in supporting his care.
School is another important part of Asher's routine. He attends a local school and enjoys seeing his friends each day.
Like many families caring for a child with complex needs, Asher's parents provide a significant amount of support around the clock. Managing his health needs overnight can be particularly demanding, requiring ongoing monitoring and specialist interventions to keep him safe and comfortable.
Specialist Overnight Support
Active Assistance began supporting Asher in 2019, when he was six years old.
Today, our team provides specialist overnight support two nights each week, giving Asher's parents the opportunity to rest while knowing he is being cared for by trained and experienced Support Workers.
Asher's care is supported by a wider team of clinical specialists, with Support Workers receiving specialist training to meet his individual needs safely and effectively.
Throughout the night, the team:
- Monitors his health and wellbeing
- Manages his overnight feeding programme
- Supports his complex clinical needs
- Responds to any changes or concerns
- Ensures he remains comfortable and settled
The continuity of familiar Support Workers has also helped Asher feel comfortable and secure, supporting healthy sleep and helping him wake ready for the school day ahead.
Supporting the Whole Family
While the clinical support provided overnight is important, the impact extends far beyond managing healthcare needs.
For Asher's family, having trusted professionals in the home means they can get the rest they need, knowing their son is safe and well cared for.
Asher's family describes Active Assistance's support simply:
"Active Assistance supports two nights a week, to enable us to have a rest at night in the knowledge that he is safe."
By providing specialist overnight support tailored to Asher's complex needs, our team helps create greater balance for the whole family while ensuring he can continue enjoying the people, activities and routines he loves most.
Name changed to protect the client's identity.
