Clients Margaret and husband Barry “absolutely love” their lives in Melbourne’s Williamstown. The couple are very happy in their ‘beautiful peaceful community’. They have wonderful neighbours, including a three-year-old for whom they’re surrogate grandparents.
Called Mrs Google by family and friends, former primary teacher Margaret adores researching. “I love it because I like finding out things…I think it’s an obsession. I can’t help it! I can remember being in a train with my mum, in the old red rattlers, and mum and I were talking. I was under five and I must have been asking a lot of questions and a man said ‘Is she like this all the time?’ Mum said ‘Yes! She is like this all the time!’” Margaret adds “And my grandson is exactly the same!”
Resourceful and ever curious, Margaret finds ways to solve problems for herself and loved ones.
In 1967, returning from their honeymoon, she and Barry needed to find accommodation quickly. So Margaret had the idea to run an ad in the paper offering themselves as house-sitters – it had never been done before! They were quickly in a fantastic house, with its main appeal to Barry being the billiard table.
When Margaret’s mother in her 90s needed care, Margaret looked after her for six years, seven days a week. Running two households, Margaret also cared for Barry when he fell ill and helped when one of her grandchildren was unwell. Luckily, Care Manager Natalia stepped into the picture to support Margaret’s mum. Still, running between three houses took its toll and Margaret knew she was “exhausted, really exhausted and I pulled up one day and I was just sitting in the car crying. I thought, ‘what am I going to do, what am I going to do?’ and Natalia rang.” Understanding the circumstances, Natalia supported Margaret to apply for help for Barry, and eventually Margaret herself. “It’s been an exceptional team contribution from Natalia and Care Connect. Without Care Connect I don’t know where we’d be.”
In thinking about what’s most important in finding a trusted partner to support you to live the life you want at home, Margaret says it’s “the quality of the staff.” We agree.