When Bob, 76, and his wife Noela, 74, moved to Kingaroy they had mixed feelings about leaving their close circle of friends in Gympie. Bob has Parkinson’s disease and was finding it difficult to manage their six acres of land and they wanted to be closer to their daughter and grandchildren.
“The best thing I did when we arrived in Kingaroy was give Centacare a call,” said Bob.
“They supported us to get government funding under a Home Care Package, which helps us live safely and independently at home and in the community.
“We choose the services we want – whatever helps us live a good life. For us that includes help with cleaning and lawn mowing. They also made some modifications around the house to make it safer for me. They installed grab rails in the bathroom and extended the stairs to make it easier for me to get from the house to the shed.
“I had to surrender my driver’s licence so they drive me to my appointments and social outings. I try to stay active in the community and friendships are important to me. They pick me up and take me to the local Men’s Shed every week.
“We go on bus trips to all sorts of places – Murgon, Kilkivan and the Bunya Mountains. Noela comes with me and we’ve made some great friends – they say I’m quite cheeky so I appreciate that they put up with me!”
Noela appreciates Centacare’s personalised approach to care. “I enjoy tending to my vegetable garden. I’ve got beans, silverbeet and broccolini growing at the moment. It’s lovely being able to look after my vegetables, knowing that Centacare are there to take on the more physically demanding aspects of yard maintenance,” said Noela.
In addition to a Home Care Package, Bob and Noela receive specialist respite services from Centacare, which is available for Queenslanders living with dementia or neurological conditions.
If you’re over the age of 65 and could use some help around the home, find out more about our support at home services.