Janis
Janis lived with her husband, who was her primary carer. They met in 2010, on Mersea Island. Janis previous husband and daughter had died when they lived in Kent and she and her second husband connected, marrying in 2012, Janis moved to Suffolk to be with her second husband and they lived a happy and fulfilling life until Janice became seriously unwell in her last few years. They enjoyed picnics on the beach and gardening, with Janis loving to grow sweet peas and geraniums in the polytunnel in their garden close to the Suffolk coast. Janis was a dance teacher early in her life and when in Suffolk she was a passenger assistant on transport for people with disabilities and vulnerabilities. Above all, Janis loved animals, especially her toy poodle, Pumpkin.
Janis had a complex history of physical health issues, resulting in periods of reduced mobility and repeated hospital admissions towards the end of her life. When admitted to hospital, she was often able to engage positively with rehabilitation and demonstrate improvements in mobility and wellbeing. However, this progress was difficult to sustain on returning home, where she experienced cycles of decline, becoming increasingly withdrawn, spending prolonged periods in bed, and reducing her food intake. She was also alcohol-dependent in those final years, drinking a bottle of whisky daily. her husband feels that Janis never recovered from the loss of her daughter and that this may have contributed to her mental health challenges.
Her physical frailty, low mood, and anxiety, partly linked to fear of falling, alongside possible feelings of hopelessness, made it hard for Janis and her husband. They became more isolated as daily life became harder.
Janis’s care was largely reliant on her husband, who appeared committed but increasingly under pressure, with limited wider support. When Janis fell, he needed help to lift her and neighbours rallied round as they do all over Suffolk. Despite involvement from multiple services, there was no single coordinated approach to managing the complexity of her needs. In the final weeks of her life, Janis’s condition deteriorated, with reduced mobility, nutritional intake, and engagement, reflecting a pattern that had been seen previously.