Then There Was Us

Halena Hucker: In Love and Care

2024-10-24 – Interview

Care

Halena Hucker’s In Love and Care is a photographic celebration of the beating heart of the social care sector, inspired by the first-hand experiences of dedicated care workers.

The conversation surrounding carers in the UK is frequently overlooked, especially in light of recent events such as huge waiting times and the doctors' strikes, which have dominated media attention in the UK since funding has been hugely cut to the NHS over the last 14 years. 

The vast majority of care homes are now owned by private companies and as a result, carers often find themselves navigating challenges on their own. 

In Love and Care explores the dynamic between carers and clients, offering a poignant example of what high-quality care should look like. However, amid the touching stories of compassion and dedication, the harsh realities of an underfunded sector emerge—where caregivers work tirelessly, often against overwhelming odds.

In Love and Care started in Hucker’s final year of University, where she studied Photojournalism and Documentary Photography. “I wanted to make a project that is important and current and one that I felt deeply about,” explains Hucker. “Many of my family work in care. From my cousins, Auntie and step-mum working either in elderly care homes or working door to door with domiciliary care, to my mum, who took up a caring role for her mum, my late nan, and now does similar for her father. Growing up in a small town in Somerset, you notice that some of the most readily available and demanding jobs available were in retail, factory work or care work. Practically, all of my family work one of the three.” 

Initially titled ‘Who Goes Unseen,’ the project aimed to illuminate the overlooked aspects of our healthcare system. “My initial expectation was going into the project to uncover the deterioration of our healthcare system due to the lack of responsibility and help from the government, a theme which was indeed addressed through direct quotes from carers that are interspersed throughout the picture essay. However, as the project progressed, this original title grew cold, it felt clinical and didn’t represent the essence of care. The more I spoke to carers, the more I visited the care homes, the more I realised just how much love and care is poured into the system, despite the odds.”

1.5 million people work within care in the UK, with 81% of caregivers being women. The gender disparity within the social care workforce highlights broader societal inequalities that demand attention and action. 

“This project is for the genuine commitment of dedicated individuals who show up to work and put in their all for minimal pay. This is from carers who work tireless hours and take on heavy workloads, because they care about those they are looking after. It’s for carers who worked through Covid, vulnerable working conditions, but didn’t receive any true recognition for their efforts. Surely, this level of passion and care should be matched fairly through fairer wages and better working conditions for carers?” 

Hucker’s project takes viewers on a nostalgic journey into a world that may be unfamiliar to those who haven’t experienced life in a care home. It captures the gentle pastel tones that soften the sterile environment and the warmth of the caregivers who dedicate their lives to looking after others. The space itself constantly evolves, as residents come to live in the care home and, in time, pass away.

“I learnt so much from making this project, some things I knew vaguely about, and some were completely new to me, “ explains Hucker, “I hadn’t considered much of what my own family has to deal with when working in care. How much caring for a family member, or even for a resident, can truly affect you. Dealing with bereavement working within an elderly residential home can be truly heartbreaking. You see your clients almost every day, you get to know them, and learn about their past, their family, their hobbies and quirks; so you get to value them and their individuality. By caring for them, they become your family, and then when you lose them, it can be unbearable.”

Hucker views the project as just the beginning in many ways, far from being complete in its current form. She envisions it as a foundation for future opportunities, aiming to take it beyond its initial scope. “I would like to put this project in public spaces where everyone can view and interact with the work, to create installations or opportunities for more carers to come forward and tell their story. I don’t see this project as successful until it can get the general public, and the government, talking about care. I would like to expand the project to young carers, creating workshops where they can use photography to voice their feelings about being an informal carer. Using self-portraiture and text to express thoughts, frustrations and feelings of their role. It’s a project that can keep growing and expanding, and will hopefully become more collaborative.”

Thank you for reading

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Halena Hucker

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