Right: Members of the Narre Warren Carers Group came together last week as part of Carers Week activities. From left: Phyl and Gordon Storey, Hetty Quaine, Carol Ellis, Nancy Kingston, Lyn Clissold, Geoff Quaine and Val Young.Above: Members of the Narre Warren Carers Group enjoyed a barbecue at the Old Cheese Factory in Berwick last Thursday as part of Carers Week activities. Pat and Tony Doggett, Ern Green, Lyn Clissold and Ken Saxon.By Rebecca Fraser
CARING for someone with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease can be tough, but like many things in life someone has to do it.
Harkaway resident Carol Ellis, 60, is one of these people and has cared for her 91yearold mother Alma for 10 years.
Ms Ellis said she understood first hand just how difficult it was to be a carer as her mother had both dementia and Alzheimers.
Three years ago Ms Ellis helped form the Narre Warren Carer Support Group and is now its facilitator.
She said the group, which currently had 17 members, provided support, advice and backup to each other as well as friendship and a social outlet.
Last Thursday the group met in Berwick to enjoy a welldeserved break as part of National Carers Week.
Ms Ellis said the group enjoyed a barbecue at the Old Cheese Factory and the members provided muchneeded support to carers from all walks of life.
“In the group there is an 89yearold looking after his wife and a younger carer, who is having a baby,” she said.
“It really is a mixed bag and the group was formed out of an absolute need for something like this in the area.
“With the ageing population, there is a real dementia epidemic and the number diagnosed is increasing.
“We support one another and provide a network.”
Ms Ellis said caring for someone with dementia or Alzheimers was difficult and placed ordinary people in unnatural situations.
“You just have to cop it and get on with life,” she said.
Ms Ellis is the first to admit she has her bad days and the group was great support.
“I’m very experienced and have done all of the courses, but some days feel I can’t do it anymore and it’s going to break me,” she said.
“Then I go outside, take a few deep breaths and go back inside,” she said.
Ms Ellis and her mother recently appeared in a new video about understanding dementia.
She said she felt the video would help new carers understand the illness and create better community awareness as well as providing a lasting memory of her and her mother.
Narre Warren Carer Support Group meets on the last Thursday of every month from 10am to noon at the Old Cheese Factory in Clyde Road Berwick.
