A WOMAN who looks after her infirm elderly parents and her sister, who has multiple sclerosis, has been acclaimed Carer of the Year for Connacht-Ulster.
Mary McDevitt (50) cares around the clock seven days a week for her 80-year-old mother Celine who has Alzheimer’s disease, her 85-year-old father Liam who lost the use of his right arm in a fall, and her 48-year-old sister Margaret, who has multiple sclerosis.
The single woman, who is eldest in a family of five, gave up a job in an accountancy firm run by her brother Paul three years ago to care for her parents and sister in their home in Ballyshannon, Co Donegal. Ms McDevitt’s day starts before 8am when she prepares their breakfast and does not end until 13 hours later when she completes the last chores.
Paul McDevitt (43), who nominated her for the award, said: “Mary has to do everything for them. As well as getting all their meals and messages, and lighting the fire and doing other chores, she has to help my sister in and out of the bath. It’s like looking after three invalids.”
Voluntary agencies like the Carers Association and the Alzheimer Society of Ireland can only give limited assistance because of their mother’s apprehensiveness about unfamiliar faces.
At the announcement of her award by the Carers Association, Ms McDevitt made light of her task, for which she receives €321 per week from the State – €214 for one person under her care and a maximum extra 50 per cent for the other two. There were over 1,200 nominations for the award.
Ms McDevitt goes forward – along with regional winners from Dublin, Munster and Leinster – to the National Carer of the Year event in Dublin on November 18th, when RTÉ’s Mary Kennedy will present the awards.