Carers the backbone of our community

While Goodna’s Ellie Chalk is one of 2.6 million carers in Australia, she says often it feels like “you’re going it alone”.

For the past 20 years, Ellie has been her husband Harry’s primary carer after his health steadily deteriorated. With limited mobility, Harry now uses an electric wheelchair and has no function or feeling from the neck down.

Doctors have been unable to confirm what exactly Harry’s condition is, but it is thought to be a virus similar to polio, which has caused permanent paralysis.

On the eve of Carers Week (17-23) October, the Chalks highlight what is an often unspoken reality in our country – that carers are the foundation of our health, aged care, palliative and community care systems.

With 71% of primary carers being women (ABS 2004), Ellie said there was never any option about caring for her husband of 38 years, she just had to.

“We’ve only had paid support workers come to our house to assist Harry for the past 10 years,” she said.

“We receive four hours help a day but it’s not really enough. When you consider that Harry needs assistance with everything from the time he wakes up in the morning to the time he goes to bed at night, four hours isn’t a whole lot.”

The Chalks have applied on numerous occasions to receive more funding support to allow them to increase the amount of hours that support workers assist them, but like so many other families, there is never enough funding available to meet all of their care requirements.

“It could definitely improve,” Ellie said.

“Put the politicians in the same situation and I don’t think they’d cope. They sit in their cosy offices and they’ve got no idea what it’s really like living day-to-day, supporting someone who has a permanent disability.”

While they face many ongoing challenges, the Chalks also have a lot of love and laughter in their lives, with two daughters and five grandchildren.

“There’s no point sitting in the corner moping about it. Have a bit of fun,” Harry said.

“Carers do a great job. It can be difficult, but it’s a two-way street and I try to be supportive of Ellie and the challenges she faces.”

Spinal Injuries Association CEO Mark Henley said unpaid carers played a vital role in our community.

“And while it’s a role that people often take on unquestionably because they’re caring for a loved one, being a carer can take an enormous toll on your health,” Mark said.

“A 2007 survey of carers’ health and wellbeing found, among other things, that caring for someone does not get easier with time, more than one third of carers experience severe or extreme stress, and the major reason carers don’t receive treatment for themselves is that they have no time of they cannot afford the treatment.

“The role of carers cannot be underestimated. Without them hospitals and care facilities would simply be unable to cope.”

Issued 11 October.