CARING PROFESSIONAL Annabelle Garnett Tena koutou! I am a relationship property lawyer and mummy to two rowdy kids. Oliver is 10 and Jemima is seven. I am married to Joshua (also a lawyer), Christian and committed to issues of social justice. I am studying Te Reo at the moment, having previously studied our reo at the University of Auckland. The inclusion of Te Reo as a compulsory subject in the New Zealand curriculum remains a particularly pressing issue for me. Specifically, I would like to see our Ministry of Education embrace a commitment to formal inclusion from pre-school, right through to year 13. I am a volunteer at my local rest home, the lovely Selwyn Village, and I am on the board of a Teen Parent Unit in West Auckland named Ohana. When I am not lawyering or running the kids around to all of their sports, I love to watch rugby, eat good kai and hang out with friends. How did you come to be a lawyer? I am not exactly sure - it was so long ago. I did like debating at school, and I remember having romantic notions of the diplomatic corps - until I realised how smart you had to be to get in! What do you love about your job? It’s a privilege helping people through extremely turbulent times. Invariably, my clients are upset and in need of robust, but caring legal advice. What do you find challenging? In my role, I often advocate for the disadvantaged, the vulnerable and the marginalised. When people are stressed, it’s harder to obtain clear instructions from them. How do you differ from other lawyers? I think our firm is a bit different from others. We’re a genuinely family-focussed practice. We’re kind of the antithesis to the corporate model. Why be like everyone else? Can you share an anecdote about a case? I had a wonderful client a few years ago who had been through such a hard time. She was fostered by many families, subjected to unspeakable abuse but had finally been adopted by the most lovely family. When I met her, she was really struggling financially. Although she worked hard in a full-time job, she was a single mum with two adorable children and she was struggling to make ends meet. Things were so tight on her low income that she had resorted to watering the milk down. My heart just ached for her and those kids. What do you do to care for yourself? I spend lots of time with my family and friends. It costs you nothing. No amount of expensive moisturiser, coconut yoghurt or Pilates could ever rival the fulfilment I get from whanau and my besties. What's your advice to people seeking legal advice? Don’t get stung by outdated views about relationship property. Unless you want to divide everything 50-50, protect your property in a contracting-out agreement. F PN Whaley Garnett www.whaleygarnett.co.nz
ALZHEIMERS AUCKLAND PROVIDES A SHOULDER TO CRY ON It was a harrowing time for Joe Macarthur when he found out his mother Ann Macarthur had Alzheimer's Disease, just days after his father suddenly passed away. Joe, from Ponsonby, said it was extremely tough not knowing who to turn to or how to help his mother, until he went to Alzheimers Auckland. “Finding no one to help, I walked into Alzheimers Auckland. It was about five past nine and the poor receptionist probably hadn’t even had a cup of coffee yet, and I broke down, into that ugly kind of cry. They were amazing. The biggest thing for me, other than a coffee and some reassurance, was that they took my contact details and said ‘we will look after everything, we will look after you’ at a time where I was having to instigate everything.” Research shows that two in three New Zealanders will be affected by dementia in some way throughout their lifetime, as the impact of dementia is wider than just those who are diagnosed. Being a carer for someone with dementia can be challenging, and while the bulk of the strain lies on those diagnosed with dementia, carers also require support and assistance. That’s why Alzheimers Auckland is looking for volunteers to collect donations outside Countdown stores from 1-3 July as part of the Countdown Annual Alzheimers Appeal. The money raised will go towards Alzheimers Auckland’s comprehensive range of support services for more than 1600 people living with dementia. These services provide information, education and ongoing dementia support for those living with dementia and their carers and communities. Joe is one of many who has received support from Alzheimers Auckland and he said the organisation not only helped him to understand dementia, but how to support his mum. “In particular, for me, they taught me how to talk to my mother because I was constantly going through conflict with her. I didn’t know what Alzheimer's was, or that me trying to get her to do things was challenging for her.” He said after his father had passed away, he thought Ann was grieving the loss of her husband. “I thought mum was just going through shock and grief like I was, but it was progressing to be really unusual.” He eventually found out his mother had been diagnosed with dementia the year before, after talking to the family doctor. “With mum and dad being together for 60 years, they looked after each other. I kept thinking mum was losing her hearing. Only in retrospect, do you start thinking ‘that was a sign’. They worked together, it wasn’t until he passed away that she didn’t have her back-up that she got worse.” Joe said without Alzheimers Auckland’s “amazing” help, it would have made a tough time unbearable and he encourages others to seek help as well. If you’re interested in helping support Alzheimers Auckland (and the work they do for people with dementia and their carers) by volunteering outside your local Countdown from 1-3 July, contact Sarah Knight on volunteer@alzheimers.co.nz. Even two hours of PN your support would be a huge help! F
86 PONSONBY NEWS+ July 2016
PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)