Sound Friendships Formed as A Result of Support Group

International Day of Friendship on Saturday 30 July will have special meaning for Christine Sladden and Di Banfield, who met as a result of their husbands transitioning into aged care home Regis Nedlands, after they were diagnosed with dementia.

As a result of visiting their husbands every day, the pair formed a friendship and realised there was a need for a support group to help many relatives at the western suburbs aged care home who had made the often-difficult decision to transition their loved ones into aged care.

“As we were leaving the home, Di and I would often talk in the carpark about how we were feeling and the grief that we were experiencing as a result of our husbands living with dementia and the fact that we were effectively losing them to the disease,” says Christine, who retired as a Registered Nurse back in 2017 after working for 18 years at Hollywood Private Hospital.

“Then we’d find that more and more relatives of people at the home would join us to chat, so much so that we became like a family and decided to set up a more formal friendship group that would meet regularly to support each other.”

Di Banfield admits that from the very beginning, management at Regis Nedlands were incredibly supportive of the group’s formation, offering a meeting room and also afternoon tea to those involved.

“The group was such a great support, we could talk about the very specific things that you face when your partner is living with dementia and sometimes we could even laugh at what we were experiencing; certainly being able to chat was such a release,” says Di, who admits she will stay firm friends with the people in the group, even though her husband Ross passed away last year.

“We got so much out of the group and it was wonderful to see how caring everyone was to each other, and also how our friendships flourished under such challenging circumstances.”

Sam Waldron, Regis Nedlands General Manager, said the support group had grown considerably over the years since Christine and Di started it and had proven a great help for many of the family members with loved ones receiving dementia-specific care at Regis.

“Christine and Di have truly made a difference to many people who visit their loved ones at Regis Nedlands regularly, and who benefit greatly from chatting to others going through a similar experience over a cuppa, morning tea, or even a regular lunch that now gets organised locally,” he says.

“There are now over half a dozen participants and they really have become like family. Christine and Di’s idea is a simple one, but it has made a great impact and it is heart-warming to see the companionship that has developed amongst everyone as a result.”

International Day of Friendship is a United Nations day that promotes the role that friendship plays in promoting peace in many cultures. It is observed on July 30 each year.

Regis offers a diverse range of care options including residential aged care, home care, retirement living, day therapy and day respite. Regis is one of the largest providers of aged care in Australia and cares for more than 7,000 residents each year.

Click here to find out more about Regis