West Kent
Care, Daily living costs, Dementia, Later life, Support for Freemasons and families
Doreen’s story
Doreen was a carer for her husband for four years before he passed away in 2019 from Alzheimer’s disease. Caring for him was a lot of hard work for Doreen, and the distress it caused both of them meant that in some ways it was a relief when he was finally laid to rest.
During his illness Doreen and Dennis received a lot of help from the MCF including funding for Dennis to visit a day centre once a week, which gave her a bit of a rest.
“After Dennis died, my financial situation completely changed. He didn’t have any insurance, and I also lost the income from his pension and his benefits. His death was an enormous loss, and it felt like the last thing I needed was the stress of working out my finances.” – Doreen
A gentleman from my husband’s lodge came to visit me which was comforting and he made it very easy to apply for the different support I would need now that Dennis was gone. The MCF offered to cover the costs of the funeral, which was a huge weight off my mind and they continue to offer funding to help me with my day-to-day living expenses. It’s still tough, but thanks to the MCF, I’m managing.
“It’s been a difficult transition, going from someone who is needed all hours of the day to not having as much to do. But I see my three sons regularly which helps a lot.
Freemasonry was a big part of Dennis’s life, so it’s comforting that through the MCF, it is still a part of mine.”
