Concerned for her wellbeing, Julie invited her mum Helen, 89, to live on her property on the NSW Central Coast. The adjustment was much harder than expected but thanks to the specialised team from HammondCare at Home, they are both getting the support they need.

Helen has had a busy life, including homeschooling her three daughters on a remote property and running her husband John’s computer software development company when he died suddenly, 25 years ago.
    
Although still physically fit, Helen’s memory began to let her down and Julie became concerned for her mum’s safety, living alone out of town. 

‘Mum moved to Armidale for a while, but she never fully integrated into town life. Her dementia symptoms weren’t that obvious then; but we did notice she started getting confused,’ Julie said.
 
So they decided it would be more familiar and comforting for Helen to move to Julie and husband Phil’s property, and then apply for extra support for her with the HammondCare at Home team. 

‘Our block keeps her entertained – there are five chickens, an alpaca and five sheep across the fence that she sees most days, plus a friendly wallaby. It feels just like being on the farm, her happy place.’

Having lived through many droughts, Helen now sometimes associates taking showers or washing clothes with wasting water. It’s a relief for Julie that the Specialised Carers from HammondCare find dignified ways to support Helen with these tasks – she's now happy to shower twice a week! 

And Julie, as Helen’s primary carer, has found unexpected support from the team: ‘Having Mum here has been a bigger change than I expected. I don’t think we’ve lived this close to each other since I went to university. Pastoral Care Coordinator Karyn visits me, too. This is a new thing for me – I’ve never had this kind of support before.

‘In many ways I feel HammondCare is helping me more than Mum, sharing the care.'

'Lorraine the volunteer spends two hours a week with Mum and takes her off on adventures, and sometimes shopping for plants for her balcony.’

Clinical Care Manager Kate learned about Helen’s memory loss during a regular visit, and Julie’s concern that she may forget to take her medication. With Kate’s guidance, a ‘tab timer’ was purchased which keeps Helen’s tablets secure and sets off a reminder when they need to be taken.

Partnering with a specialised care team, Julie feels less pressure, even taking overnight trips to Sydney to see her children. ‘HammondCare At Home is a godsend.’