The future of Aged CAre

I have been reading the October/November copy of 50 Something - Australia's widest circulating Over-50's magazine.  As usual has some good articles. One of them is about the reform to Australia's Aged Care. 

There was a Productivity Commission report handed down in August and the Minister for Ageing, Mark Butler is holding 'invitation-only forums across the country to garner the public response to these proposals.

One can go to the report at www.pc.gov.au/projects/inquiry/aged-care/report, and also you can send their ideas and thoughts to npo@nationalseniors.com.au

Clearly some of the major issues are around funding, staffing, quality of care, continuity of care, having a skilled workforce.  I will go and read the report when I have a little more time, and probably a glass of wine in my hand too - as I'll probably need it to settle me down.

One of the issues that is very important - partly because I have been digging around in the mire and confusion of nursing homes for the last year or so, and there are some issues that are in need of discussing more.

I know cost is one of the big issues, but I can tell you that the cost to families of trying to cope with the documentation, the confusion (you will be told one thing my someone in an organisation, and something else by another person in the same organisation), and the transition for the family of getting someone from their home to a care facility.

I've worked in aged care, and many facilities are depressing, lonely places.  Staffing is a big issue of course, but I can see that we can change that.  Not easily of course but it can be changed.  Of course higher pay will attract more people, but we need to attract more of the right sort of people.  People who really care.  Care.  It is a word bandied around.

I see my mother in a nursing home.  Staff call her by her first name, and are extremely familiar with her.  I am not sure she is comfortable with this.  But she is lonely - and few people visit her.  At 96 (on October 27th) she's outlived her family and friends - her husband (my father) died in July.  My sister works, and of the four grand children only one lives in the same city.  My only sister works full time, and long hours and I live in another state. 

My mother does get to shop anymore.  (OK, we don't allow her to keep any cash as like other things (clothes, jewelry etc) it will be stolen.)  Perhaps by other demented residents, or staff.  Who knows?

My mother just wants someone to talk with - most of her fellow residents are not capable.  She wants to go places - but there are limited opportunities for activities.  There's no garden to walk in, and she does lone circuits of the place.  No one sees children - very rarely do they visit.

We wonder why older people don't want to go to these places, but they are surely 'locked away' from the rest of the community.   I understand that for safety reasons many must be confined, but surely a facility should not resemble a prison so closely.  In fact, most older people would be better off in prison.  Better facilities I think for some of them in prison, than in some homes.

I am impressed that in the NT a facility is being built where the elders will be housed as part of the wider community.  I do think we need to 'rethink' our seniors care.

I'm in favour of some sort of  'national service' - where young people are committed to a year or two serving the community.  I'm not in favour of compulsory military service as such, but a disciplined approach, not unlike a military camp but where young people learn skills, learn to work in a disciplined 'workforce' and at the same time can put their time in helping in the community - with such things as aged care, community activities, working with meals on wheels, helping at schools, keeping Australia clean and beautiful, and so on. 

Now wouldn't that make a difference.  I know some countries have compulsory 'national service' - I had friends in South Korea where almost everyone does military service and they were so proud to have done, it and they learned so much.  I certainly don't advocate military service in Australia but I am sure that we could find useful learning and opportunities to use new found skills.

I rant.