I spend most of my days sifting through Aged Care correspondence, and in all that time I come across stories that are both uplifting and some that are incredibly sad.
I can’t help but feel that lately the vast majority of aged health care stories are firmly positioned in the latter category.
Some would label this as in indictment of our times, some would label it is an indicator of the inadequacies of the Government’s health system, but for myself it is a clear and undeniable wake up call for individuals to thoroughly research the aged care facilities that may soon be the permanent residence of themselves or their loved ones.
For me, braying for the Government to fix a problem seems to be like trying to put a bandaid on a severed limb; the intention is good, however the problem can’t be fixed with spot repairs. It doesn’t help that in some places along the funding chain, money can simply disappear before it gets to those who need it the most.
In this instance, the quality of an aged care facility needs to come into question.
People shouldn’t be afraid to ask the tough questions of their community aged care provider, one would consider this especially important when considering that the very lives of ourselves or loved ones is what is at risk.
Respite care, and high level nursing home care facilities should have nothing to hide and easily answer taxing questions regarding the quality of their services, those that don’t should be avoided.
But it appears in the mind of the public, the damage has already been done. The media spin has cast a looming shadow over not only sub-par establishments, but those that provide an excellent amount of care for residents. I can’t help but feel that whenever the words “Nursing Home” are mentioned, images of the Russian Gulag spring to mind, complete with chained elderly residents marching single file along a breadline for their one and only daily provision of mouldy bread.
Nyet.
No doubt as Australia’s ageing population increases, an overhaul of the current system is required, one that has already begun to roll out can be viewed at
www.agedcare.com.au Nearly 500,000 Australian’s will be in aged care centres by the year 2030, so the time for reform is certainly bearing down upon us, but the responsibility to make sure loved ones receive quality elderly care is also a burden that is to be shared by ourselves.
For those unsure, the old adage “you get what you pay for” certainly plays a large part in choosing an aged care service provider, and despite the woes and negative press we shouldn’t be disparaged about placing loved ones in aged care.
Sometimes the bread lines are in our mind.
Phil Oliver Seffy is an Aged Care and General Nurse. Phil holds a bachelors degree with a major in Aged Care and Family Therapy. Despite having an amusing name (Phil O Seffy), he has spent the last 18 years heads down working as a nurse for the most overlooked members of our society; the ageing. As an Aged Care political activist, Phil’s ideas have been shaped by an era of aged care budget cuts and broken promises. As a voice from this forgotten sector, he hopes to enlighten those who are still yet to have their finger on the pulse of these forgotten individuals. He can be contacted via email phil_o_seffy@hotmail.com
JoshRockman
April 8, 2010 at 1:29 am
Age care done right
I have recently created a promotional video for Victoria’s largest age care provider "Catholic Homes".
What a beautiful and caring bunch of people. It was so nice to see happy faces of residents and staff in the 5 venues we visited. No spin, just real people giving real love and support to those in need. The video is featured on my website and can be viewed here.