Appeal shows how the carers are cared for
MYRTLE PRESTON was a full-time carer for her husband David when he was living with dementia. It took a huge toll on her. When she could no longer cope, she called the Jewish Care Direct Helpline.
The social work team helped David to move to the local Jewish Care home, Vi and John Rubens House, in Redbridge. Shortly after his death, Mrs Preston was also diagnosed with dementia and visits to the charity’s Redbridge community centre were a vital part of staying connected to Jewish life.
And when the centre closed at the start of the pandemic, Mrs Preston was still able to maintain that social connection through the charity’s online tea parties and other virtual events.
Mrs Preston’s story is among those featured in Jewish Care’s Pesach appeal, which also highlights the work of its helpline and social work and community support team, services which attract no government funding and cost £150,000 a month to run.
During the crisis, Mrs Preston has also received meals-on-wheels and a weekly phone call from one of the charity’s volunteer telephone befrienders.
Her son Laurence is now her fulltime carer and says: “My mum’s face lights up when she sees all her friends on the Zoom tea parties every month. It’s so important to her to stay connected and to keep her mind busy. Jewish Care has made sure that can still happen, even through this pandemic.”
The helpline has dealt with 21,000 calls over the past year and the social work team is looking after 1,200 clients. Some 3,000 meals are delivered every month.
Promoting the appeal, Jewish Care chief executive Daniel Carmel-Brown stressed: “We depend on the kindness of caring people in our community to ensure we can continue to help everyone who needs us.”
My mum’s face lights up when she sees friends on the Zoom tea parties’