Meg has the ‘luxury of living with dignity’ thanks to Eleanor and Resthaven
Resthaven Fleurieu Community Services Registered Nurse, Eleanor Hetherington, has given Ms Meg Truscott (77) and her carer Ian Farrows, ‘a new lease of life’.
Meg says, ‘Eleanor has allowed me the luxury of living with dignity, and to achieve my dreams. Gone are the days of self-doubt and loneliness, replaced by self-respect and hope.’
Eleanor came into the lives of Meg and Ian when they chose Resthaven as the provider of their Short-Term Restorative Care Program – a flexible care programme that provides early intervention care to improve independence for older Australians and reverse or slow functional decline.
Meg is living with terminal myeloma, a type of blood cancer, and Ian came to be her carer through a series of events sparked by their mutual interest in local history and connecting via social media during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Meg’s health deteriorated when she was diagnosed with lung cancer, and when the accommodation she was renting was sold and no longer available, Ian offered to take her in. She now rents the bottom storey of his house at Encounter Bay, and he acts as her carer, looking after her meals and wellbeing on a daily basis.
However, Ian, who struggles with depression at times, found that his caring responsibilities were taking time away from his ability to keep things clean and tidy around the property. Together they realised they needed some assistance.
‘As soon as we were under Resthaven we had a call from Eleanor and she scheduled a visit,’ Ian says. ‘However, even before she was due to come out, we had a phone call from her to say she was in the area and could she come and see the house so she had a better idea of the type of assistance we needed.’
Not long after, Eleanor arranged to have health supports in the home, such as non-slip mats, and some cleaning services.
With Eleanor’s facilitation, Meg has also started going to the gym and says that it has done wonders.
‘You wouldn’t believe what it has done for me – the first time I just floated out of there,’ Meg says. ‘I feel so good after a session.’
With day-to-day mobility issues taken off the table, Meg and Ian have been able to enjoy life again.
‘We’ve been crossing things off Meg’s bucket list,’ Ian says.
The pair have recently returned from Echuca – where Meg, while living at Mannum and owning her own business selling houseboats, would visit regularly as she travelled up and down the Murray River from Murray Bridge to Echuca. With Echuca holding special memories, Ian took her back to for a trip down memory lane.
Meg has also joined Ian’s lawn bowls team, even making up the team for Ian’s Lawn Bowls Fours at the Masters Games held in Wallaroo earlier this year.
‘If Eleanor were in the Olympics,’ Meg says. ‘I would give her a gold medal!’
Ian agrees.
‘Eleanor is extremely professional,’ Ian says. ‘There were so many things where she immediately understood what we needed. She was already thinking about how we live, and we loved that about her approach. She deserves every bit of praise.’
Resthaven Fleurieu Community Services offers a range of health and wellness programs either in the privacy of your own home or out and about in your local community. Services are delivered by trained staff in a way that supports your choices and independence, respects your privacy and provides peace of mind.