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A Day at the Met Office: Supporting Jason’s Passion

POSTED: 13/08/2024

Recently, we accompanied one of our clients Jason on a visit to the Met Office in Exeter. Discover how our care assistant Ashel and the Heritage Healthcare Bristol team helped make this day truly memorable.

Carer, Ashel, a black man with dark short hair and a dark beard; wearing a purple Heritage Healthcare top. To the right of him is client, Jason, a white man with short grey hair and a grey beard; wearing a black top and a beige jacket. They are standing outside in front of the Met Office reception sign.

On Wednesday 31st July we accompanied one of our clients on a visit to the Met Office in Exeter.

Jason is extremely knowledgeable about many topics, but in particular, he has a passion for anything related to climate and weather patterns. He spends many hours researching meteorological data and enjoys visiting libraries and buying books on the subject. He was delighted at the prospect of being accompanied to the Met Office in Exeter to browse through their library for several hours.

Client, Jason, a white man with short grey hair and a grey beard; wearing a black top and a beige jacket. To the right of him is Carer, Ashel, a black man with dark short hair and a dark beard; he is wearing a purple Heritage Healthcare top. Behind them is a screen in the MET office showing the world map.

Client, Jason, and Carer, Ahsel, stood in front of a screen with the world map on.

The Perfect Chauffeur

As a former Uber driver, our care assistant Ashel was the natural choice as a chauffeur for the day, with Jason kindly taking care of the administrative side of booking the trip.

Exploring the Met Office Library

On arriving at the Met Office, Jason was able to spend a few hours leisurely browsing through books, pamphlets, and documents of specific interest to him. Meanwhile, Ashel, who is from Zimbabwe, found some interesting information on rain gauges in his native country, so they were both able to enjoy different aspects of the library.

Client, Jason, a white man with short grey hair and a grey beard; wearing a black top and a beige jacket, pointing at a weather map of the UK.

Jason pointing at a weather map of the UK

Overcoming Challenges with Creativity

Under different circumstances, Jason would have loved to have had the opportunity to be employed in the Met Office. As a high-functioning autistic individual, however, he has faced challenges in making the best of his abilities. Ashel pointed out some handwritten weather journals in the library and suggested to Jason that he start journaling to document his own knowledge.

A Generous Gift

The icing on the cake for Jason was that on leaving, he was presented with some books of his choice, which he could add to his growing collection, including one on physics, a subject he studied at college. The Met Office is apparently refurbishing their shelves in the near future, and as these books were duplicates, they were happy for Jason to take them.

Client, Jason, a white man with short grey hair and a grey beard; wearing a black top and a beige jacket, stood in front of a heat map of the UK.

Jason stood in front of a heat map of the UK.

A Day Well Spent

After a refreshment stop for Domino’s pizzas, they headed home. By all accounts, both Ashel and Jason thoroughly enjoyed the day. The feedback from Jason the next day was really positive.

“Ashel was great company. He engaged with me constantly throughout the day and showed a real interest in my passion. I thoroughly enjoyed the trip.”

Supporting Our Clients’ Passions

At Heritage Healthcare Bristol, we love being able to support our clients in pursuing their interests and hobbies to enable them to lead fulfilling lives.

If we can help you to access facilities to enable you to enjoy your life more fully, despite the challenges of a physical or mental disability, why not contact us on 01454 808054 to see how our friendly team of carers can offer support?

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