02/08/2024
Agistment is more than just horses, it’s about the people that the horses bring. Four years ago a horse arrived and with her came her owner Wilma . Wilma has ridden for years and now 79 yrs old and her horse Bella nearly 30 they have retired . Wilma would come out to groom her horse and spend time just sitting with her, doing a crossword and giving her bites of her lunch . Then slowly her visits became more infrequent, Wilma was having trouble driving from Gympie to Amamoor, what should have taken her 20 mins was now taking 1 to 2 hrs .
So we began a journey together down a rabbit hole. Wilma had the onset of dementia, we went to doctors, geriatricians . We shopped together for food, payed bills went to see her horse. But dementia is an insidious disease and I was worried she wasn’t eating enough as she wasn’t hungry. We were advised by a nurse navigator from the hospital our next course of action. As Wilma has no one, family or friends were all estranged, so she needed a guardian, so the process began through QCAT for me to be a temporary guardian to assist in her care . Being the strong willed women she is ,she thought there was nothing wrong and quite capable. Once QCAT came on board we were able to then get “my aged care “ from the government to help assist her . This is why we pay taxes people to help our elderly that have no one . Wilma would never turn the heating on or cooling when needed , never wasted food , lived very frugally and alone .The local company RangeCare was chosen to help assist her on outings , cleaning, and bathing . She still resisted help, but eventually the first day came to pick her up for day care visit, I cried to see her pop on the bus , it was like sending my child off to school first day . Wilma thrived, as she had company and did activities to stimulate the brain, lunch was also provided. This was successful for a while then the time came for a more permanent way of living as winter was coming and Wilma needed to gain more weight ,so the search began. Change is hard for anyone, but with dementia even harder, they need a routine. So with the help of aged care the wonderful advice over the many phone calls , Wilma and I started the search for permanent residency. Such a hard and heart wrenching experience but for anyone out there needing to do this soldier on. You will find a place. Wilma has now been in Calvary at Gympie for 4 weeks. Looking the best she has for a long time, eating 3 meals a days. To all the people that have helped us on the journey we Thankyou from the bottom of ours hearts , the help we have received from all our agistees with cleaning out her rental and storage shed, 40 yrs of hoarding. All this came about because of a horse that needed a home and a women that needed a community .