Madam, – Up until recently, I was the sole carer of my 90-year- old beloved mother. I was struggling, an absolute wreck and I wondered how I could keep going. I am not a nurse but because I have had five children, I thought I could do it. I tried for nearly two years, but as my mother’s mind deteriorated, I realised that I was not really capable and, as I would never put her in a home, I was at my wit’s end.
I had no idea I could ask for help from the HSE but now I have a home carer who comes in for one hour every morning, Monday to Friday, excluding holidays and bank holidays.
My carer (Jacinta) has made such a difference. The one hour in the morning has saved my sanity and my own health. She washes, cleans and dresses my mother, then brings her downstairs for her breakfast. She is very efficient but not officious. I often hear my mother laughing with her. She is gentle and kind and my mother really looks forward to her coming, as do I. I really don’t know how she does what she does in the one hour allocated to me.
There is one thing I do know: I cannot do without her. – Yours, etc,