A carer’s story - straight from the heart

By Mrs Tina Hughes, Torfaen Carers Centre - 28/04/2008

I recently interviewed a gentleman in his late forties called Keith Aston, who cared for his mother for 18 months. Sadly she passed away in May 2006 aged 83.

 

Keith told me that his mother had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and cancer, at which point he gave up his job to become her full-time carer. He did the shopping, cooked, cleaned, dressed his mother, looked after finances and walked the dog. Keith told me: “Many people said I would not cope and that my mother would be better off in a home, but I said no – I am going to look after my mother in her own home.”

 

He went on to say that he wished she was still alive today as he would do it all again. “I am proud of what I’ve done. I miss my mother so much but I know I did my very best to make her days more comfortable. I feel a sense of pride and have found the experience very rewarding. I still feel very raw - I take one day at a time and remember my mother, always with me in my heart. There are days when I just sit in the house but I try to keep myself busy.”

 

Keith now helps to run a men’s group on Friday mornings at the Torfaen Carers Centre, and is a member of the Carers Branch Committee. He also loves supporting Cwmbran Town football club and helping out there.”The football club gave me a decanter for being supporter of the year, which filled me with pride,” said Keith. “All these projects have helped me come to terms with the loss of my mother."

 

Keith would like to thank everyone who supported him whilst he was caring for her, including Crossroads, Social Services, and a special thankyou to Keith Wheeler, the support worker who not only gave him such sound advice but also has been a good friend.

 

I would like to thank Keith Aston for letting me tell his story - if there were medals for caring I know he would wear his with pride.

 

 

 

 

This story was first published in the Torfaen Carers Spring 2008 newsletter, and Keith Aston asked the Mature Times if we could publish it again.