Carers Cafe to begin fourth year at Penarth hospice

A couple who attend a carers’ café at a Penarth hospice have praised the support they’ve received – and urge others to attend as the service begins its fourth year. 

Elizabeth and Nick Gelsei have been attending the café, hosted by Marie Curie in its day therapy unit at the Cardiff and the Vale Hospice, since last summer. 

Elizabeth, who has volunteered in a variety of roles for the terminal illness charity for 12 years, said she found out about the café – which runs on the first and last Tuesdays of the month, from 2pm to 4pm – after attending a volunteer thank you event. 

“I came on my own at first, but they said that Nick was welcome to come as well.” 

Elizabeth’s husband, Nick, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in Febuary 2017.  Elizabeth is his primary carer. 

The pair, who are both originally from Hungary, met in Cardiff in 1957, and married in 1960. 

Talking of Nick’s diagnosis, she said as a family they knew things “weren’t quite right” before hand. 

Nick, 80, was diagnosed at a Memory Clinic in Barry.  He now attends day centres three days a week to provide Elizabeth with some respite. 

“He can hardly walk now, he shuffles,” said Elizabeth of one of the symptoms of Nick’s Alzheimer’s. Elizabeth also says he now likes to go to bed early.

“Because I’m now on my own so much, I enjoy coming to the Carers’ Café  because I’ve always been a talker, so it’s nice to talk to people and meet new people,” she said. 

“We’ve met some lovely people here and it gives me emotional support too. 

“It’s something to look forward to.  Nick doesn’t always remember that we are coming, but I’ll remind him and he enjoys it.” 

Since the launch in March 2015, Marie Curie has welcomed 742 visitors to its cafes, including carers, families and patients from the hospice wards. 

Susan Court, who set up the café as part of the Caring for Carers project, said: “The café provides a welcoming, hospitable and safe environment for visitors to relax, talk with others who are experiencing similar situations while enjoying sandwiches, tea and cake. 

“We also provide access to a confidential benefit support worker.” 

A café marking the start of the fourth year of the service is taking place on Tuesday, March 6, from 2pm to 4pm, at the hospice on Bridgeman Road, Penarth.