Anna lives in Lanarkshire, Scotland with her husband Anton, 13-year-old son Jay, and her parents. Jay is autistic with moderate to severe learning difficulties.
Anna explains, “The conditions greatly affect everything that we do. Jay suffers from severe anxiety, so we must plan his day from start to finish and give him time to process the day. Especially during school days to help with the transition between home and school. We use a lot of timetables and visuals to help him with understanding what’s happening over the course of the day.
“Jay requires constant supervision with one-to-one support since if he goes out alone then he can get lost or put himself in dangerous situations. He also has a poor sleeping pattern which means when he’s awake in the night, I must be too. I gave up work to be Jay’s full-time carer. I’m there to help him with all his care needs.
“Being a full-time carer is quite isolating. Anton can go to work and have a social life outside of the home. Whereas I spend most of my time in and around the house. I can’t go far in case something happens at school. I don’t get much respite because I don’t have anyone that is physically fit enough to care for Jay.”
Take a Break Scotland grants
Anna and Anton have benefited from Take a Break Scotland grants several times. The grants have provided the family with opportunities to go on holiday together, as well as providing funding towards a trampoline for Jacob.
“The trampoline is one of the things that Jay can do independently, and it makes him so happy. I must still keep a watchful eye over him through the window, but he’ll come back and feel more relaxed. It helps him to exercise and regulate his emotions. Since the trampoline is in the garden, I know where Jay is, and I know that he’s safe. It provides me with a break to get on with other things.
“One of the most notable family breaks that we went on using the grants was to Blackpool. Jay loves rides but usually can’t cope with the crowds, noise, and queuing that comes with that. However, we were able to go out of season and it was dead quiet. Jay was able to go on his favourite rides repeatedly without queuing. We were able to use the funds for a hotel, food, and activities. It was great to make memories with Jay in an environment that he’s able to enjoy. It’s absolutely priceless.
“The holiday also felt like a break for me because Anton was there. So, he was able to go on rides with Jay and I didn’t have to be as present. I could just sit and switch off for a bit. I could relax knowing Jay was safe with his dad and I got happiness from just watching. It honestly made such a difference.
“Take a Break Scotland grants have been a real lifeline for my family”.
“The Take a Break Scotland scheme has been great for us. The application process was easy. Everyone that I’ve been in contact with has been so nice and made our life easy. A lot of forms can be stressful, but I didn’t feel like that at all when applying for Take a Break Scotland.”
