Improving quality of life

Charles lives with disabilities as a result of his mother being given Distaval (a drug containing thalidomide) during the first 3 months of pregnancy. Charles is a beneficiary of The Thalidomide Trust, who provide a range of health and wellbeing and financial support to help beneficiaries to maintain their independence and maximise the quality of their day to day lives.

Charles had lived in his 2-storey home for many years, however as time went on Charles was susceptible to an increased risk of falls around his home and garden which was having an impact on his mobility. Although Charles wanted to remain in his home, he wanted to modernise it to ensure that it was safer and fit for his future needs. A specific focus of the improvement work was to make his garden area more accessible. This included replacing a steep set of stairs which were a fall hazard and levelling his garden area to make it more accessible and improve his mobility.

For that reason, Charles explained to the Thalidomide Trust that he needed some assistance to help improve his home for the future. The Thalidomide Trust approached Reliance Bank for information on the mortgages that we provide.

Solution
Reliance Bank were delighted to help Charles carry out a re-mortgage from his current lender to Reliance Bank. This released some additional funds to help pay for the modification and improvement work required on his home, which in turn has helped to improve Charles’ quality of life.

Impact
Charles feels happier in his home following the modifications as his house and garden area is much safer and suitable for his needs. Having a more accessible outdoor space has been particularly valuable for Charles during the lockdown restrictions this year.