Nevine was only just starting to grieve her brother’s death early this year when she received news that her mother’s partner had passed away in April from COVID.
The loss of her mother’s partner meant that Nevine found herself in the position of needing to support her mother’s care.
“She needed me,” says Nevine. “And even though I live somewhat far away, of course I was going to help.”
Nevine’s inability to drive made it more time-consuming for Nevine to travel to her mother’s home. However, Nevine started to visit her mother daily, commuting via public transit.
She would spend her days juggling the physical demands of assisting her mother as well as the emotional struggles of journeying alongside her mother in their grief. She managed her mother’s household duties, and cared for her two dogs. Although involving a lot of work, Nevine still managed to find time to spend with her grandson.
A month ago, Nevine’s situation changed when her mother fell and needed to be hospitalized.
“It was a frustrating situation,” says Nevine. “Thankfully she’s doing okay. But between daily visits to see her in the hospital, and to her home to care for her dogs, I spent a lot of extra time on the TTC. I wasn’t able to see my grandson as much as I wanted to.”
To address her needs, Nevine has been receiving social work support to provide her with informal supportive counselling. Social worker Elinor Gal has been encouraging Nevine to make time for herself to support her own mental health, despite her busy caregiving role. Elinor connected Nevine to community supports to alleviate some of her caregiving duties, including transportation, homemaking and PSW supports. All of these resources have helped Nevine feel supported in her caregiving. And her mother recently returned home from the hospital, which has also helped with cutting down on Nevine’s travelling.
Elinor nominated Nevine for our Courageous Caregiver of the month.
“Nevine is an extremely caring human being,” says Elinor. “She cares for everyone that is in her life without ever complaining. The people in her life come first. She truly deserves to be recognized for everything that she does!”
__
The Courageous Caregivers Recognition Program recognizes and celebrates the outstanding dedication of family caregivers in providing care for their loved ones, and is part of the Caregiver Club program. We recognize the diversity of everyday experiences and celebrate the unique journeys of caregivers. Would you like to nominate a family caregiver? Visit https://caregiver.circleofcare.com/courageous-caregivers/
