For three-and-a-half-years, Laurie Sucic barely left her apartment. Not because she didn’t want to – but because she couldn’t – until a professional carer arrived.

At 91, Laurie was caring full-time for her husband Nandi, 92, who lives with Parkinson’s Disease, inside the four walls of their Sydney retirement village unit. He had his own walker. She didn’t – despite the loss of full use of a leg. He had trouble walking. So did she. But for years, they had no wheelchair, no equipment, and no services beyond what Laurie could provide herself – even as her own health deteriorated.

And if not for a short-term program provided by aged care provider HammondCare, that might never have changed. (They sourced a wheelchair and Laurie was now free to leave her apartment).

There are at least 100,000 older Australians in a similar position –