On the fourth Wednesday of every month, Wendy McCallum rises at 6am to bake scones for her Support Group meeting. Wendy is the dedicated leader of Woolgoolga Support Group – better known by locals as the Woopi Support Group.
“Woopi is 80 kilometers from Coffs Harbour so travel to our nearest support group there is costly, time consuming and often means you need to depend on others,” said Wendy, explaining why she thought it would be a good idea to have a local group. She worked with Coffs Harbour-based Parkinson’s Specialist Nurse Vince Carroll to make it happen.
It was established in March of this year with expectations of around 10 people at the inaugural meeting. In fact, 40 people showed up, which indicated strong local demand for the Group.
Today the youngest participant in the Group is 53 and the oldest is in their late ‘80s. The group is led by a committee of four – two people living with Parkinson’s, one carer and Nurse Vince Carroll.
Meetings take place at the Woopi Senior Citizens Centre which generously organises sponsors to pay for the room. A local band comes to play at meetings and even helps to set up the room first.
Other volunteers also play a key role, helping to settle attendees into their seats then serving them refreshments so people with mobility issues don’t need to be standing and moving around.
Each monthly meeting features a speaker, including the Parkinson’s Specialist Nurse, a dietitian, and a physiotherapist, with a dentist scheduled for next year.
Asked for her tips on running a thriving Support Group, Wendy said: “I’ve found that the key is keeping participants and their families fully informed. We use emails, multiple text messages, and a note in the local paper to ensure everyone is reminded of upcoming meetings and events.
“I’ve also found it personally useful to keep myself up to date on the latest information about Parkinson’s. I have found the free online courses offered by the University of Tasmania and Queensland University to be most helpful.
“Being a leader has been good for me,” said Wendy. “I have been living with Parkinson’s for 10 years now and I find myself getting words jumbled up. Speaking at Support Group meetings is good therapy for me!”
Photo caption:
Back: Vince Carroll (Parkinsons Specialist Nurse), Anne McBride (Committee Member) and Gary Piper (Committee Member)
Front: Sandra Hingarno [Committee Member) and Wendy McCallum (Leader)
