Role of young carers revealed

ALL over Ireland, young people care for sick and disabled relatives, taking on adult responsibilities that defy their years. They are invisible to the State, unrecognised and ineligible for an allowance for the valuable work they do until they turn 18.

A new one-hour documentary, Children in Charge: Ireland’s Young Carers, reveals for the first time what life is like when a child takes on the role of caring for a parent.
Among the four families who took part in the documentary were West Clare’s Margaret Healy and her 13-year-old son, Stephen. Margaret, from The Hand, was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis when Stephen was just 11-months-old.
Now, Stephen is caring for his mother, her illness resulting in regular falls, so much so that they have to carry a hoist in their car.
Margaret said one of the reasons she decided to take part in the documentary is to acknowledge the hard work young carers carry out on a daily basis, more often unnoticed.
“I got the chance to do the documentary and I decided, here goes. I think young carers should be acknowledged and recognised for what they are doing. Stephen’s always been there for me, he’s a very good child.  It’s a big undertaking for Stephen to be in the position he is in.”
Margaret is particularly reliant on Stephen as they both live in an isolated, rural area. “There is no public transport, there are no shops; you have to go three and a half miles to get to a shop,” she told us.
Speaking on the documentary, the then 11-year-old Stephen said, “I don’t like to leave my mam alone, because once I left a few months ago and when I came back up she said she’d been on the ground for three-quarters of an hour.”
Although some families might not be able to cope with the pressure of dealing with this illness, the Healy family have developed a rather stoic and accepting attitude.
“I lost my brother to MS and unfortunately Stephen has had to learn a lot about the illness, more than he should. I was diagnosed when Stephen was only 11-months-old, so he has grown up with it. I’ve been going in and out of hospital over the years and at this stage he doesn’t blink an eye now,” she said.
“It is kind of a role reversal, him looking after me, but it’s what you’re used to. It doesn’t really bother him at all, it’s just the way he’s been brought up and he just gets on with it. As he says, this is our life and it’s the way it’s going to be.”
Although the family have been positive, Margaret admits there have been tough times. “It’s hard on him. I feel like we can’t do the kind of things that young boys want to do because I’m just not able for a lot of things,” she said.
Margaret found it particularly difficult when Stephen started secondary school. “I don’t want to sound selfish but I miss him being around,” she added.
Margaret explained how proud she is of Stephen and how she hoped the documentary would show the great work that he and other young carers are doing across the country.
Made over the course of nine months, the documentary was produced by Ailbhe Maher and directed by Gerry Nelson.
From Spanish Point to Trim, it shows that all over the country, there are children taking on responsibilities beyond their years as they care for an ill family member. For the first time on Irish television, the documentary gives a voice to these young carers and asks, who is looking out for these children and why are the not supported?
The documentary sees raw and emotional accounts from mothers who find themselves in dilemmas as they ask their child to do chores and help them wash and dress. The documentary goes into the homes of young carers and sees them in their everyday lives. It highlights the family bonds between children and parents and the worry that young carers carry with them always.
Children in Charge: Ireland’s Young Carers, will be shown on RTÉ One next Tuesday at 9.35pm.