Collection that captures carers reality
By Sonia Isaacs
Closing Time at the Kings Head is a collection of poems which describe feelings on both sides of the care partnership when living with dementia. This unique collection of 30 poems reflects the lived experiences of author, Karin De Novellis, who spent six years as an unpaid carer for her husband.
The collection captures some of the inner thoughts and feelings experienced by those navigating the uncharted complexities of everyday life with dementia.
Speaking with GC&M News, Karin said the poems in the collection were not always pretty but they were honest.
“I cared for my husband for over six years and writing became a way of managing the enormous strain and responsibility of caring for another person 24/7. When dementia enters a home, so much is lost; but sometimes, if we open ourselves to the situation and are lucky, something can also be gained,” explained Karin.
As a speech and language therapist, psychological counsellor, and adult mental health practitioner with over 40 years experience, Karin said it was challenging to have to wind back her professional life and personal needs in order to care for her husband as his dementia progressed. She said she initially found solace in talking about and sharing her own situation, acknowledging her own mental health and the extremely taxing and exhausting reality of being an unpaid carer.
“I know firsthand how impactful caring for someone living with dementia can be. Both sides of the partnership sustain significant losses but it is only more recently that attention has been paid to the losses of the carer,” Karin said.
Karin said she hoped her poems would resonate with others and importantly connect with those that are travelling or have travelled a similar journey.
“Reading the poems to the public in a variety of settings, I noticed how quickly people engaged with the material, often eager to share their own experiences of friends or family members who were living with dementia. If you are an unpaid carer, the themes in these poems may serve as a mirror. I hope you will feel that your experiences are seen, heard and valued,” she said.
The positive response already received to Karin’s insights has led her to create a series of online support sessions for unpaid carers, using the poems as a springboard for discussion, grounding and creative writing. She is testing out material for a second publication, a handbook for those facilitating support groups in the community. Kick off with a Verse sessions gives the unpaid carer 90 minutes of ‘me’ time.
Karin will be appearing at a special ‘Meet the author’ session at Rosetta Bookshop Maleny on Saturday, February 17, from 10am-2pm. karindenovellis@gmail.com