By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
A BERWICK mother with chronic arthritis has made a desperate plea for help to care for her 22-year-old daughter who suffers from cerebral palsy.
Mother of seven Debbie Hawley receives Department of Human Services (DHS) funding through an Individual Support Package (ISP) for her wheelchair-bound daughter Samantha who cannot shower or dress without around-the-clock assistance.
Debbie, who suffers from advanced osteoarthritis, is physically unable to help Samantha with these tasks and employs carers every day to assist her.
Her mother also pays for Samantha to attend classes at Outlook three days a week.
But as Debbie’s debt continues to mount and her funding runs almost dry, she had made an anxious call for help after applying for additional DHS funding.
“DHS say they don’t have any more funds to give me.
“I’m a single mum, I don’t have funds, my best bet is to take Samantha out of her day services and then we can still pay for her the daily care,” Debbie said.
“But I see that as a form of imprisonment, I can’t walk long distances at all.
“If I take her out of the Outlook program, she’s stuck at home seven days a week – I can’t afford to do anything.
“And I cannot physically look after Samantha. That is heartbreaking for a mother to say you can’t look after your own daughter.”
A DHS spokesperson said Debbie’s additional funding application was being reviewed but did not indicate whether it would be successful.
“The department is currently working with the Hawley family to explore available support options for Samantha,” the spokesperson said last week.
“It is also reviewing the ISP to identify any gaps and assess her support requirements.”
Narre Warren South MP Judith Graley, who raised Debbie’s case in Parliament this year, said she will be raising the issue with the new and yet to be determined Community Services Minister, following state Labor’s resounding election victory last month.
“I’ll be meeting with the new Minister for Community Services, whoever that may be, to talk about those issues, and I’ll be making an appointment to raise the issues that so deeply concern my constituents,” she said.
Ms Graley told Parliament in October that the Hawleys “need more money and more support for Samantha”.
“The family already has a deficit of $11,000 with DHS.
“They need help with clearing that debt and making sure they do not get into debt again so they require adequate resources going forward,” she said.
