Jo

Jo moved to Portland 35 years ago with her late husband and has become heavily involved with the local community, including starting the island’s carers group and Friends of Portland Library. In her spare time Jo loves painting, listening to music and gardening.

About three years after moving to Portland, Jo’s husband suffered a stroke, which dramatically changed their lives. When this happened, Jo made enquiries about support groups for carers on the island and found there were none. Not deterred, she formed Portland Carers Support Group to give emotional help to fellow carers and guide people to organisations that can support carers and their loved ones. The group has gone from strength to strength and regularly has 16 people that come to the meetings and sends information to many more.

Jo’s first husband sadly passed away about 12 years ago, but she feels incredibly lucky to have met someone to share her life with again. Her new husband shares the passion she has to support the local community and regularly helps the carers group, along with being involved with his own community groups. He is a great gardener too!

Jo benefitted from counselling following the death of her first husband and would recommend it to anyone in the same position.

Through her work with the carers group, Jo has sadly seen several occasions when people’s discharge from hospital ends in failure, leading to a readmission to hospital. From her experience there can be a communication breakdown between the organisations involved in discharging and supporting vulnerable people leaving hospital, including ensuring adequate care support packages/hospital aftercare is in place to help people recover from their stay in hospital. She is supportive of the principles of the integrated care system (ICS) where health, social care and the voluntary community sector work together to support individuals, but would like to see evidence of it working.

Jo has seen a positive improvement in the support carers get locally; the carer’s lead and care coordinator for Portland both do an excellent job supporting carers on the island. Carers Support Dorset has a great wealth of information for carers across the county.

Jo has witnessed the health provision for people on Portland decrease in the time she’s lived on the island. She feels the reopening of the minor injuries unit (MIU) at Portland Hospital would benefit residents and would love to see the inpatient beds open again. Through negative experiences with the GP surgery, both personally and with the carers group, Jo and her husband are now registered with a GP practice in Weymouth.

Jo is living with COPD and has difficulties walking long distances or going up steep hills. She has found the exercise classes with Island Community Action (ICA) have really helped with her fitness and provide a great place to socialise with others. The class she attends plays 60s music, where she has great fun!

Without ICA, Jo believes Portland would be in a worse state; they provide much help and support for people across the island. In her experience there are several other places that people on Portland can get information about activities and support including the library, Citizens’ Advice Bureau at Portland Hospital, Carers Support Dorset, and the Free Portland News, which is delivered to most households free of charge every month. Her carers group distribution list also reaches many carers on the island.

Key takeaway:

The most important thing Jo would like others to take away from this conversation is her strong will for the MIU to return to Portland. She feels it would benefit many people on the island and make use of the space at Portland Hospital.