Our lifesavers. An article by our home care client Keith Heale

Wesley Mission Queensland invited Keith, one of our home care clients on the Sunshine Coast, to share a story for our website to keep his creative passion alive. The topic? Anything that would inspire him.

We were delighted when we opened his email and found a story about his journey with our home care team.

Read below the unedited piece by Keith Heale.

Wesley Mission Queensland, our Lifesavers.

To speak about our Wesley Mission Queensland (WMQ) experience, we firstly need to take you back in time a bit.

I’m a Queensland boy, Bundaberg born and bred, who had itchy feet to travel. My wife hails from Samoa, which is where I met her when I was working for an American company. We have been married for 47 years. We have lived and worked in the USA, the Pacific, Asia and have also lived in Desert conditions and cyclone prone areas within Australia.

I have learned that old age, like ill health is personal, very personal for each of us. I’m not sure if there is anything that can adequately prepare us for the loss of skills, loss of dexterity, loss of family and friends or the loss of independence, that can be an unwelcome guest as we enter old age. My wife and I were beginning to experience all of this and more, we were becoming a bit like a ship that’s lost its rudder. And life on many levels was getting very frustrating.

As many of us do, my wife and I found as we aged, we had to deal with some very unwelcome health diagnoses, many of which can be life changing and one in particular absolutely shattered the both of us. Then over a short period of time, we seemed to be assailed by layer after layer of the difficulties associated with our health and aging.

And I don’t think there is anything that could adequately prepare someone for the loss of their soulmate who they’ve lived life with for decades. That hasn’t happened to us, but it has happened to close family and best friends. For us, the loss of BFF’s who we expected to do old age with, has been devastating.

During this bumpy ride we call life, we went to stay with my sister and her family in Bundaberg and Nadean, my niece said Uncle Keith you need to apply for an ‘Aged Care Package’ for you and Aunty Lei. I had no idea what she was talking about but over a period of time, drawing on her wealth of knowledge and experience, she was able to enlighten me. And we applied and were successfully assessed for Aged Care packages.

While we were waiting for our packages, like everyone does, we were advised to select a service provider. The more I researched and looked, the more I found selecting a service provider to be a daunting minefield. That was until I went for a checkup with Tamara, my audiologist who said, “Keith, I have just been through this with both my parents, so I have done all the leg work for you, look no further than Sally and WMQ, they are simply the best.” And we are forever grateful to her for that advice.

Sally Bishop (image above, one the left) and WMQ rescued us from being that drifting rudderless ship and set us on a pleasant course once again. Sally has been so very understanding and super efficient in meeting our needs. My wife and I have found all WMQ staff to be kind and caring. I understand the difficulties associated with selecting the right people for the right job. Hence, I am extremely impressed with the amazing people including contractors who come with the Wesley Mission Qld Tag.

Simply put, our experience is that Sally and her team of people are awesome. They have always treated us with kindness, grace and respect, and we are forever thankful and grateful to each and every one of them for the help and support they have given and continue to give to this day.

Sally and her WMQ team have helped us move on from lives of loss and frustration and have put us back on track to live lives of purpose. And as we age it can be challenging for us to remain living in our own home. Many difficult situations brought about by aging can arise. However, any fears we have in relation to this are put to rest, simply by knowing that Sally and WMQ are always there for us, and we know that Sally will do her utmost to help us overcome any new challenge, as best she can. That is peace of mind for us.

And if you are going to suffer some of the arduous potential complications that ageing may bring, you might as well do it somewhere beautiful. That somewhere beautiful for us, is the Sunshine Coast. We are only a stone’s throw away from the wonderful ‘Sunshine Coast Hinterland’ and the many beaches, including the world-famous Mooloolaba Beach where we can go for a swim or a walk, then hit the Esplanade with its many cafes and coffee shops, which my wife constantly frequents with her Wesley Mission Queensland helper.

And my last piece of his advice is this: if you wish to age gracefully, Sally and WMQ will do their utmost to help you achieve it.

By Keith Heale.