No hesitation

When Wendy Hudson realised her mum Patricia could no longer cope on her own, she had no hesitation in becoming her full-time carer.
Like the vast majority of family carers, Wendy was thrust into the role without any ‘formal’ training, but she had one goal and that was to ensure that 94-year-old Patricia could remain in the cottage she has lived in for the last 43 years.
It is here that Patricia shared so many happy memories with her late husband George – Patricia working at the post office and doing other clerical work (in between having and bringing up their three children) and George working for the electricity board.
Wendy didn’t think twice about helping her mum, after all there’s a reason she refers to the pair as “Thelma and Louise” but eventually it became apparent that she would need some support, and this is when she was referred to Caremark Kirklees.
Wendy says: “Mum had started falling regularly and so I moved in permanently to support her, but at this time she also started showing signs of dementia which led to her yelling out, so this resulted in lots of sleepless nights.
“I remember when Caremark first started supporting us. It was for one visit in the morning but Nicola, the carer, treated mum like her own grandmother and put a smile on her face. She made a real impression.
“This also provided me with some respite so I could take a bath, go for a walk and have a conversation with someone different who wasn’t mum!”
The care package was soon extended to two further visits a day and Wendy says this has made such a difference to herself and her mum.
“Every time they come to see my mum, they also take time to speak to me, which means a lot,” says Wendy.
“The carers are all down to earth, they have grace and humour and treat mum and myself with the utmost respect.”
At the time of writing, Patricia is receiving hospital treatment which means the care calls have paused but Wendy is hoping that her mum will be well enough to return to continue receiving care.
“I miss the carers when they are not here,” she says.
“I miss their warmth, interaction and friendliness!”