Lucille
Content Warning: These stories are about violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation and may include references to suicide or self-harming behaviours. They may contain graphic descriptions and strong language and may be distressing. Some narratives may be about First Nations people who have passed away. If you need support, please see Contact & support.
‘I really think a personality test should be needed for all people doing any kind of work with the disabled or in a carers position so that they can see if they are caring people by nature or just money grabbers like my friend.’
Lucille asked a long-term friend to be her support person. They lived in the same house and he received a Centrelink carer payment while he continued to work full-time.
‘Looking back now he was abusing me verbally and restricting my community participation,’ Lucille told the Royal Commission.
Lucille is in her late 40s. She has nerve damage and uses a wheelchair for long distances and a walker for short distances. She needs support to dress herself. Her vision is impaired and she can’t feel if something is hot or cold or feel pain if she cuts herself, so she is unable to cook or prepare meals.
Lucille said her friend would get frustrated and abuse her. If he didn’t like the way she behaved when they were out in the community he would punish her and refuse to take her out. If the internet speed was slow or he couldn’t find a park when he had to take her to appointments, he blamed her.
When Lucille’s disability progressed and she needed more support, she had to ask him repeatedly for assistance.
‘I had to not ask too often and even if it took an hour or two for him to even begin to get what I needed I had to be polite and thankful when I got it.’
Lucille liked to have the occasional cigarette. He didn’t approve, so Lucille ended up smoking in her room with the door shut. But he still found ways to berate her.
One night Lucille couldn’t sleep and decided to video call her mother. She tried to turn the sound down but it took some time because she couldn’t use her hands to quickly operate the controls. He charged into her room and swore at her demanding she turn it down. When she explained she was having trouble he told her ‘I’ve had enough of you. I’m going to kill you’, then stormed off. Lucille said she spent the night lying awake scared he would harm her.
Lucille spoke to her NDIS coordinator about her friend. She said the coordinator supported her ‘trying to free myself from his grasp’. Lucille’s friend hated the coordinator and tried to get her fired. He also intimidated any other support workers she put in place.
The support coordinator reported Lucille’s friend to the NDIS Quality and Safeguard Commission, police and Centrelink, who stopped his carer payment.
‘My support coordinator is absolutely awesome through this continuous saga. Available for me 24 hours a day even though she's not being paid for such.’
Disclaimer: This is the story of a person who shared their personal experience with the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability through a submission or private session. The names in this story are pseudonyms. The person who shared this experience was not a witness and their account is not evidence. They did not take an oath or affirmation before providing the story. Nothing in this story constitutes a finding of the Royal Commission. Any views expressed are those of the person who shared their experience, not of the Royal Commission.