A DEAF man was given a new lease of life when he moved into a Worcester care home to get the support he needed.

Steven Ditchfield, who is also autistic, moved to Craegmoor’s Hamilton House on Malvern Road at the start of 2013 and, according to his parents, has not looked back.

Staff at Hamilton House have recently completed a basic sign language course to better communicate with the 42-year-old and have supported him to pursue his interests and hobbies such as taking part in a deaf club, swimming, art classes, gardening, using electrical tools to make wooden objects and long walks.

They also encourage him by decorating the care home with his works of art and letting him choose his own weekly menu and even help prepare the food. Recently, key worker Kelly Cole-Parsons travelled with Mr Ditchfield to London so he could fulfil his ambition of visiting Buckingham Palace.

Mr Ditchfield’s father, Tony, said his son had found it difficult living alone for several years before moving into the care home and had become very unhappy and a challenge to visiting carers because of it.

“This stemmed from Steven being unable to communicate with the majority of the carers, who were lacking in training, both in understanding autism and also sign language.

“The transformation when Steven moved to Hamilton House was obvious, and he quickly became his old cheery self, due to receiving proper professional care and one-to-one dedicated attention, coupled with the correct skills in autistic management and sign language.

“The dedication and patience of the staff at Hamilton house has enabled our son to enjoy his life to the full.

“It was good to hear from the staff that they are finding Steven a joy to work with and, as parents, it has given us peace of mind seeing our son so content and happy.”

Kevin Latimer, deputy manager at Hamilton House, said: “Steven is a wonderful addition to our family at Hamilton House and his artistic talent and his enthusiasm for life is a real inspiration to us all.”