Home is where the heart is for Wheatbelt local

For over 42 years, Peter Mold has called the Western Australian Wheatbelt home and his local community his family.

The 88-year-old retired priest has spent years turning his old stone house into a home and has one wish, to remain living there for as long as he can.

“Home is my happy place. I live on an acre of land, I have built a painting studio where I work on chipboards, I have a beautiful garden, and I am close to town.”

It was not until Peter fell ill and ended up in hospital in Perth that he had to think about his future living alone.

“I came home from the hospital, and everything started to sink in. I do not drive, and all my appointments were in Perth. This is when my local doctor referred me to Juniper,” said Peter.

Juniper’s Home Care Community Support Workers now drive Peter to and from his appointments in Perth and always ensure that they make a fun day out of the trips.

“My Community Support Worker takes me to all my medical appointments and then lets me choose somewhere in Perth that I want to visit. They are so generous with their time; I am so lucky to have their support.”

Peter is on a Level 4 Home Care Package that has been tailored to his needs and preferences, so he can continue to live independently at home.

“Not only does Juniper drive me to and from my medical appointments, but they also created a care plan that supports me during the week with my shopping, cooking, and cleaning. It is so nice to be surrounded by such good people who will do anything for me. I no longer worry about living alone,” added Peter.

Peter refers to his team of carers at Juniper as his real-life angels and wants other Western Australians to know that you do not have to live in distress at home, there is help.

“Prior to Juniper, I felt like I was constantly begging people to come and help me. I felt so bad because I noticed that as I got older, I was asking for more and more help from the community, but there is only a limit to what they could do to help me.”

Angie Slater, Director of Home Care and Retirement Living said asking for support to live in the home and accessing the community can initially feel difficult, at Juniper we believe everyone should be supported to live their best life.

“Each day, Juniper assists hundreds of people with everyday tasks like showering, housework, shopping, nursing, allied health care and more. We celebrate the unique differences in every individual. That is why we offer a range of care and support services to achieve your personal goals,” said Angie.

As everyone’s care needs are different, there are four levels of Home Care Packages with different funding amounts available from the government. If you need home care funding, the Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) from the Department of Health come to see you to assess what package you would be eligible for.