Watching a parent refuse to give up their independence will be a familiar experience for many people, particularly as they get older, and now Aussie star Kerri-Anne Kennerley has revealed her family is no different.
The 64-year-old beauty shares a very close bond with her 96-year-old mum Grace, phoning her every day and making the three-hour trip to see her on a regular basis.
The whole family would love nothing more than for Grace to move in with them, somewhere they can enjoy some quality time together without the distance between them, or worries that come with it. However, determined to keep her independence – and worrying she wouldn’t be “useful” when she’s there – Grace has repeatedly declined the offer, and vows to stay put for the foreseeable.
Now, speaking in an exclusive chat with Starts at 60, Kerri-Anne has spoken on her worries for her mum, and admitted while she’d love for her to move, she’s had to accept it will never happen – something many people will undoubtedly relate to.
“She’s a stubborn woman. She lives about three hours north from us, and we talk every day,” the actress and entertainer revealed. “We go and visit as often as possible for two days at a time, but no, she’s firmly entrenched in her own place living by herself, independent, and as she always said: ‘Live old enough to be a problem to your children’!”
Kerri-Anne added: “Mind you, she doesn’t think she’s a problem. I’ve gone: ‘No, you don’t answer the phone for six hours at a time, but I was fine!’ She’ll say ‘it was under the chair’, and I’ll say ‘oh, I wasn’t worried at all’!”
Grace moved to Nelson Bay around the time Kerri-Anne’s father died, and has become firmly settled in her new community.
“She’s doing well, but it’s always a bit of a concern,” her concerned daughter said. “She has got her feet well and truly holding the ground, she ain’t going nowhere! I would love her to come to us a little bit more often, but she’ll say ‘no, I can’t be useful, if I’m not useful I’m not coming’.”
Kerri-Anne recently teamed up with Specsavers to encourage more Aussies to get their eyes checked more regularly, particularly as they get older. She was inspired to join the campaign after previously having lens replacement surgery herself, as well as living with astigmatism.
There was another worry on her mind though, as her mum also suffers with vision loss after being diagnosed with macular degeneration, while having cataracts surgery. Grace managed to find out early enough to stop her eyes degenerating too much, but as it’s hereditary, it’s a concern for Kerri-Anne and the family.
“I’ve seen the effects of these diseases first-hand. Seeing how they have affected her [Grace’s] quality of life has been extremely difficult, and I know that if detected sooner, a lot of her vision loss could have been prevented,” she said.
Asked how she felt when she first found out, Kerri-Anne added: “We were all pretty nervous because you don’t know what the ramifications of it are. However, once you dig in and have the diagnosis, it becomes a little less of a worry. It is daunting once you get told, but you just get in and get it sorted.”
New research, as part of the campaign, revealed as many as two in three people over the age of 40 are currently experiencing an eye problem but failing to get checked by an optometrist.
For more information or to book an eye test, see the Specsavers website.