Ms JACKSON (1:47 PM) —I wish to alert the House to the situation of Donna Netherway. Donna is 33 years old. She lives at home with her 64-year-old mother, Rhonda, in the suburb of Forrestfield in my electorate of Hasluck. Donna has a very severe intellectual disability. She needs help from her mother in all areas, including eating, dressing, toileting, washing and self-care. She has no sense of danger and needs supervision and support at all times. She has no speech and communicating her needs can be very difficult. Donna's parents separated many years ago. Rhonda cares for Donna on her own with very little support. Donna is an only child and there are no other relatives who would support Donna if anything were to happen to her mother.

Rhonda is in urgent need of surgery for a knee reconstruction. She is in a lot of pain and has great difficulty walking. She has been putting the operation off for two years because she has no-one to care for Donna. She is finding it increasingly difficult to continue to care for her daughter because of the intensity of Donna's ongoing care needs and her own health problems and advancing age. Rhonda would like support to enable Donna to stay in her own home, with other people if appropriate. She is very concerned that this be arranged before anything happens to her. Donna's mother lives with anxiety about what would happen to her daughter if funding for appropriate care cannot be secured. I call on the Howard government to give urgent attention to the provision of the accommodation support services needed by the estimated 300 people with disabilities and their families in WA. (Time expired)