Tailored support for you and your loved ones

Brotherhood of St. Laurence Aged Care

For over 80 years the Brotherhood of St. Laurence (BSL) has worked in the community supporting people of all ages to live the life they choose. At BSL Aged Care we take the time to get to know you and your loved ones and work with you to tailor a plan to suit your individual needs.

Whether you’re looking for in-home support, quality residential care, or day and overnight respite care, we’ll help you find a solution that works for you.

that makes you pop. Best to let it go. If dad is in hospital, it will take at least a week to get him home. Fingers crossed. So I will need to be with mum as much as possible.

Dad has been mum’s carer since she lost her sight, but he is 95 now, very frail and has lost most of his sight but he still makes tea, coffee, finds food, by touch. Undoes her bra, puts the Polident on her dentures.

I need to be near the hospital, too, because there is so much you need to do to help your loved ones in hospital. From reassurance and warm blankets to cleaning all the stuff that accumulates on their table. And, most importantly, you need to be there to catch those elusive doctors.

I ring the hospital and try to get on to emergency to find out how dad is doing, and I am on hold for 15 minutes. Is he lost in the system (it happens) or on the ramp or in the corridor?

I try not to worry. When you can’t do anything else, don’t fill the gap with worry. Switching off for a moment does not mean you have lost empathy and compassion. It means you have fleeting hints of balance in your life. Don’t wait to seize the day, it’s probably cancelled. Instead, seize the moment. And practise GEM:

Gratitude: think of something you are grateful for. Even a green leaf on a tree.

Empathy: spare a thought for someone else and their struggles.

Mindfulness: Where am I in this moment? What am I seeing (hospital car park)?

Non-cancel culture

Mum and dad have Home Care Packages, but they try to cancel their care on the weekends, saying, “We don’t need help on the weekends”, because that’s when they take a break from washing and dressing and eating, don’t they, and I’m only an hour-anda-half away, aren’t I?

My sister works in the NDIS. She says sternly, “Don’t cancel the care workers. Ever.” She understands scheduling and the impact on managers and care workers of cancelling and last-minute changes and now I have also learnt the mantra, “Don’t cancel the Care workers,” no matter how much mum and dad complain.

Things will happen, right, carers? And they will happen when you are somewhere else worrying that they will happen. That is when care workers give you some peace of mind.

Remember there are many organisations that can help. Like Carers Australia, the National Dementia Helpline, Lifeline. If you need emergency respite, call the Commonwealth Respite and Carelink Centre.

If you’re experiencing financial hardship, call Centrelink.

You know the drill: call before 10am, write down the name of the person you are speaking with, be patient, get a reference number, have a good book and a box of chocolates handy because you will be put on hold.

My biggest tip? Download a food delivery app. Cooking is just a bridge too far. ACG