"If it wasn't for St Michael's, I would have had a breakdown"

“I don’t think I could have got through that first year, after Al’s dementia diagnosis, without the Hospice.”

Jo Purdom says finding the Carers’ Wellbeing Course at St Michael’s was “a lifesaver”. 

“I will never forget that first session. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted.”

Jo attended the course following her husband Al’s dementia diagnosis, and admits the difference it made was enormous.

“If it wasn’t for St Michael’s, I would have had a breakdown,” she says. “I don’t think I could have got through that first year, after Al’s dementia diagnosis, without them.”

The Carers’ Wellbeing Course was a lifeline for Jo, giving her a safe space amongst other carers to explore what it means to care for a loved one living with dementia.  

“Al and I don’t have children or family close by, so when we received the dementia diagnosis, I felt completely alone,” added Jo. 

“Every appointment in those days was with Al present, so it was incredibly difficult to speak to somebody about what was actually going on.  

“But at St Michael’s, it was the first time I was able to sit in a room on my own with other carers who knew what I was going through. We could just talk freely without judgment.

“The legacy of that wonderful course is we now have a WhatsApp group and regular meet-ups, with or without our partners. We laugh and cry together but always knowing the others understand.”

The Carers Wellbeing course is open to family carers of a loved one living with dementia. To enable carers to attend, St Michael’s invites you to bring the person you care for along. St Michael’s will care for them whilst you attend the carers sessions.

For more information, call 01432 851000.

#carersweek