Budget 2017, a carer's story: ‘My wish is for my mother to stay in her own home’

Joy Tutty’s 84-year-old mother, Nora, developed vascular dementia after she suffered heart failure and atrial defibrillation two and a half years ago.

Joy is a nurse and took two years carers’ leave to mind her mother, but this has just come to an end.

A single woman with no children, she has returned to her job at University Hospital Waterford on a reduced working week of just 15 hours, but Nora, who lives in Bunclody, Co Wexford, still needs full-time care on the two days that Joy is working.