Her name is Bernadette Carey, but everyone knows her as “Bernie”. A resident of a Gellibrand share house for more than a decade, Bernie is well known for her bright and independent spirit – and for taking care of herself.
“I do my own washing,” she told me when I met her. The message was clear: don’t touch Bernie’s washing because she does it every Wednesday without fail. She also likes to keep her room tidy, and she works on making sure the rest of her shared house is tidy, too. Bernie is always looking out for her fellow clients, always concerned for their safety and welfare.
Bernie was a bit tired when I arrived to chat with her. She had just come back from Annecto Yarraville Learning Hub (formerly David House) and she needed time to unpack her bags and settle into her slippers. Bernie goes to Annecto five days a week and does a range of activities, such as bowling and cooking, which keeps her busy and involved in the community. Bernie loves an outing.
“I went to the Ballarat Show and I bought showbags for my nieces,” she told me, adding that she and other clients and team members also dropped into McDonald’s, but they didn’t go on any rides at the show.
I asked Bernie how many nieces and nephews she had and she left the lounge where we were sitting and went to her room, returning with a laminated and long list of all her relatives. She pointed out which on the list were nieces and nephews; Bernie lives with dementia and the list is vital for her because it has all her relatives’ birthdays on it.
Bernie had also recently been to Sunshine to get her hair cut and was happy with the results. And she was looking forward to the upcoming Gellibrand Christmas Party where she’d get a chance to catch up with her many friends amongst Gellibrand clients and team members. She’ll no doubt greet everyone enthusiastically, like she did the staff members who came on duty for their shifts as I left in the warmth of Bernie’s smile.
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