HammondCare At Home client, Fay, shares her life-long passion for textiles and quilting

“After we visited the coast yesterday, I thought, it’s so nice to have someone to smile and laugh with.” Smiling and laughing are back on the agenda for Fay now, as is continuing the craftwork she loves.

Fay’s passion for creating textiles has been a constant thread throughout her life. “Mum taught me to sew when I was little,” she says. “Then when my girls were small, I made handmade gifts, little lavender bags and things. I started making little kid’s clothes – little tracksuits down to size 0000 because it was really hard to buy something for tiny babies. I sold them at the markets for years.

“My husband Paul encouraged me when I wanted to start quilting. I had some lessons, then joined a quilting group. The lady I had lessons from bought some of my quilts and sold them in her shop, but mostly I donated them to Sydney Children’s Hospital for parents of newborns, especially the tiniest babies who were in incubators.”

As with so many of life’s givers, Fay is very modest about her talents. HammondCare At Home care worker Cynthia was amazed when Fay showed her two rooms full of beautiful bespoke quilts, with cupboards full of sewing machines, fabrics and threads.

“The work that goes into it – hundreds of hours of work – it got me in the heart,” Cynthia says. “She absolutely loves it. And she does it to help people. She’s the most beautiful person ever.”

Cynthia is one of Fay’s team of HammondCare At Home care workers, instrumental in supporting Fay to continue living life on her terms. After some health issues, Fay was delighted to find HammondCare At Home and receive dedicated assistance at home. 

“A lady from HammondCare came to talk to me,” Fay says. “She told me they could give me the help I’d need to carry on living on my own. I just had to wait a couple of weeks while they made the house safer for me with handrails and things like that. It was very exciting, knowing I could go back to my own home.”

Fay sees someone from her HammondCare At Home team almost every day. “They come for three-quarters of an hour in the mornings to make sure I’m all right in the shower and do a bit of cleaning while I’m getting ready,” she says.

HammondCare takes the time to carefully match care workers with clients, something Fay says is very important.

“They do a really good job of who they’re matching you up with,” she says. “I have my regular team, and I feel comfortable with them. Cynthia comes on Mondays for three hours each and we go out together. Since I no longer have my license, I really appreciate this service.

“We do whatever I want to do. Yesterday we went out to La Perouse for a walk by the water and on the way back I showed Cynthia Yarra Bay. Before COVID-19, we might go to the mall to get some fabric and stop for something to drink.

“The care I receive from Cynthia and the team is allowing me to stay in my own home for as long as possible,” Fay says. “They’re lovely. Really nice and genuine. I look forward to their visits.”