Daughter gives a special kind of support

Parents often turn to their children for care and support as they grow older.

Dawn Brown and her daughter, Dianne Jarvis, are no exception

Dianne doesn't live with her mum but they spend most of their time together under the same roof at Peninsula Village at Umina Beach.

Dianne has worked in the Leisure and Lifestyle department for 11 years.

Dawn was happily living in the same suburb when her husband and Dianne's dad, Joe, died in October 2017. The couple had been married for 68 years.

With the support of her children, Dawn made the move into Peninsula Village, where she quickly embraced living within the residential care facility, Pam Palmer House.

"I love the activities, and the care and food are wonderful," Dawn said.

"But the highlight is getting all the benefits of being near my daughter, Dianne, who is absolutely amazing in how she supports me and the other residents.

"She absolutely loves running all the wonderful lifestyle activities throughout the village including exercise classes, colouring in, music therapy and much more.''

Dianne makes sure to see her mum socially on every lunch break.

"She'll always let me know if I've got lipstick on my teeth - some things never change," she laughed.

Joe's death was devastating for Dawn.

Wedded to her only love since she was a teenager, Dawn found herself alone for the first time in almost seven decades.

Over that time the couple ran a series of small businesses while raising eight children.

"And the loss I felt when Joe passed away was made harder by the fact we also lost our eldest daughter, Caroline, in the 1977 Granville train disaster," Dawn said.

Dianne said it was a difficult and uncertain time.

"Working at Peninsula Village for over a decade, I know the place inside and out," Dianne said.

"I've watched so many people come and live here happily because the standard of care, hospitality, social aspects and camaraderie are second-to-none.

"That sense of community spirit is what mum needed, especially after being left alone for the first time in so many, many years."

SOURCE:

Media release, 16 Jan 2019

Katey Small, Brilliant Logic