Now I know just why Ray loves Camp Breakaway. They treat their guests like royalty, nothing is too much trouble, everything comes to them, food, drinks, entertainment. There is a personal aide or a shower nurse if you need one. There is a nurse on staff and they will get you to the hospital if that is where you need to go. One of the older gentlemen did go to the nearest hospital to have heart pains checked out, he was okay and told to see his doctor when he got home today. It is all covered by the Federal Health and Ageing Department and a small co-pay from the guests and it is a lovely experience.

Although Ray usually goes on a small bus I drove him up on Tuesday morning, about a 45 minute drive north of here. I thought I would use the car while I was there but never did. The furthest I went from the camp was down to the waterfront a walk of half a mile or so. The camp is made up little wooden cabins, two side by side and there are 16 of them. There is a big hall which is kitchen, dining room, lounge room and entertainment area. The meals are good, well cooked and served by the staff. There was entertainment in the afternoon and evenings too. There is also an area with A-frame cabins which is used as a youth camp and some larger family cabins which are used for families with disabled children who need a holiday.

The accommodation isn't five star but is adequate. There are rooms with twin beds (Ray's was like a hospital bed), and a purpose built shower and a small deck on the front which we used the first day to sit in the autumn sunlight and relax. I also sat out there when Ray was asleep except for yesterday when it was raining and cold. Then I went up to the hall and watched an English comedienne who played the piano and told jokes and had the oldies in stitches with her act. All the entertainment was good but my favourite was a small shy man who was electrifying in his rendition of Elvis songs.

The first person to greet us was Ray's usual carer who calls him "Buddy" and had some tales to tell about some of Ray's previous visits. The tales were pretty mild but Ray looked at me to see if I was taking it all in and when I laughed he relaxed and smiled himself. He loves to be made a fuss of and his carer had brought some aftershave and a few little extras to make him feel good. We had another carer at night who slept next door with the single occupant there, a much older stroke survivor who really did need the 24 hour care provided. The night carer had his wife and daughter come in and stay for a while so we could see how much his now four year old daughter had grown. This really pleased the older ladies who fussed over her.

All the staff are both paid and volunteer workers, except for a few who are just volunteers. The payment only applies to the showering and personal care which they can claim for, the serving of meals etc they do as volunteers. Some come back at night to put the olds to bed. I loved the shower girls, all young and chirpy, all brisk and cheerful, who brought Ray out of the shower pink and clean and with a big smile. He would do exactly what they asked, no ifs or buts. I loved the large, huggy ladies who stayed through the day and made sure we all got tea or coffee and cake in the afternoon, who also sat and talked one on one to the survivors while their carers had a nap or went for a walk.

Is Camp Breakaway for me? Probably not, the age range was from late 60's to one dear old chap on our table who was 98 and as talkative as a jackdaw. The nearest person to my age was a woman who has a complex form of Parkinson's who was probably late 60's. We had some good conversations, her speech was very slow and slurred but I could see she was really enjoying our chats together.

But Ray loves everything about Camp Breakaway, he enjoys the company, the entertainment, the meals and the company of the carers who he sees as a band of angels from heaven. If the only way he can go is with me, I'll go again. If he can go alone I will go back to enjoying my three days off at home.