Giving our carers a deserved break

Name: Villa Maria Catholic Homes
Address: 486 Albert Street, East Melbourne, VIC, 3002, Australia
Telephone: +1300 698 624
Price range: Contact Us

28 January 2020

28 Jan 2020

Our Carer Support program recently held an event at Coombe Yarra Valley, as an opportunity for the full-time carers to get together, socialise and have some time out from their responsibilities.

The program provides events for people who live in Melbourne’s eastern region and care for a loved one with care needs including dementia, disability, chronic condition or illness, or older age-related needs.

It is a chance for the carers to take a break and enjoy some time to themselves.

During the busy, and fun-filled day, we asked one of our participants to tell us why she enjoys being involved.

Buena Di Nuzzo

“Someone from the VMCH Carer Support program keeps contact with me once a year to talk about what support I need, and I also attend the carer’s events, which is wonderful.

Being a carer, it’s a challenging commitment.

It is lovely to be able to see other people and share your experiences with other mums and parents that go through sort of the same thing that you go through. I think is the best thing that you can get out of these support group programs, and the fact that you can express yourself. And feeling that you have something in common and not feeling alone in what you go through every day.

We also get to experience a lighter side of being a carer.

I’ve been in Melbourne over 20 years, but there are still things that you don’t get to see because your life is caught up with a lot of things and you are just focusing on your caring role and your child and your family.

It just brings joy, to not have to stress out about ‘where’s my child’? You can’t fully appreciate these events if you go with your family because it’s hard looking after your child. And not thinking about yourself every time you go out.

This is an opportunity for us to think about ourselves, and wind down. To energize us after several weeks of having a challenging time or hardship of dealing with your kids with disability.

It’s just heart-warming that somebody out there also feels that you need a little bit of a break. It really helps us a lot.

You also get advice from these people in the same situation, and you go, “oh I didn’t think of that!” It becomes not just a social gathering, but a forum. You have a good time, you have a drink, a laugh, and you wine and dine. See the world. See what’s outside the house.

Come and join. Why hesitate? It’s beautiful. It’s wonderful. It’s fun. It’s worth going to.”

For more information on the Carer Support program, contact us on 1300 971 720.
Carers must be unpaid and living in the local areas of Knox, Yarra Ranges, Whitehorse, Maroondah, Manningham, Monash and Boroondara.

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Acknowledgement of Country

We here at VMCH respectfully acknowledge the traditional owners of the lands on which we gather, and we would like to take a moment to honour the fact that we live on the lands of the oldest civilisation in the world. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and wisdom of Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander peoples, and pay our respects to their elders past, present and emerging.