Pam Tierney is a people person. Her Mildura unit is always filled with friends and the aroma of freshly-baked biscuits and cake that she shares with a cuppa and a smile. “I’m a happy person – life is too short to spend it being grouchy,” Pam says.
Her garden, with its kaleidoscope of colourful flowers, reflects her sunny personality. “I’m absolutely passionate about gardening,” the 74-year-old explains. “I downsized to this unit 17 years ago with my late husband, John. Believe it or not, we had 150 roses in our previous garden. I counted them all one day!”
Her happy place is sitting on the patio in her garden and breathing in the scent and beauty of nature. And reading mystery novels. “I’m a bit of a book worm,” Pam admits.
The other motto Pam lives by is “if things are broken, fix them!” This applies to everything - including health and living well at home. Over the past few years, she’s had surgery to replace a hip, both knees and both shoulders. “I’m a bit of a bionic woman, I’m being held together by surgical screws and bolts,” Pam laughs. “Going through the Xray scanners at the airport is always hilarious.”
Pam loves the hustle and bustle of friends and family in her life. She and John met at the now-closed Maples Store in Mildura where they both worked. She was in the electrical department, he was the despatch manager, and between the parcels and the plugs, sparks flew! They had two sons and were married for 49 years before John passed away.
Her elder son Michael and his husband Jarrad live in Melbourne with their 14-year-old Reid, and Pam is incredibly close to their little family. Michael phones her every day – and up to three times a day if she is feeling unwell. “Family and love are everything,” say Pam.
Pam was raised on a farm and is made of stern stuff. “Coming to terms with the death of our younger son, Bryan, was very difficult. It’s incredibly hard to bury a child. But I ended up looking after Bryan’s miniature staffie pup for 14 years until the dog’s death last year.” She pauses and takes a deep breath. “Still, life goes on, and I look back on a very happy life overall.”
She’s also delighted to be living in the home she loves – thanks once again to applying her homespun philosophy of facing a problem head-on and trying to fix it.
“I’ve got rheumatoid arthritis and I realised I couldn’t cope at home on my own anymore,” she explains. “So, I got hold of the nice people at Uniting AgeWell and worked with them to get on to a government funded home care package, with them providing all the services. Problem solved!”
The grandmother receives help around the house as well as daily personal care, and working closely with her Care Advisor Jamie-lee has used her package to buy a number of aides to enable her to live independently and safely at home.
She bought an electric bed and a reclining chair, has modified the bathroom and also now zips around on a mobility scooter after being advised not to drive anymore.
“The staff at Uniting AgeWell are all wonderful,” says Pam. “I chat to them about everything, let’s face it, I never shut up! They’ve become like an extended family to me. I always look forward to seeing them.”
Learn more about our home care services in the Mildura region