Another discussion at the Gold Coast conference is the challenge of providing home care services in regional areas.
Paul Maston, Operations Manager of the big Not For Profit care provider Southern Cross Care (NSW/ACT) pointed out that it is almost impossible to employ new registered nurses in the Blue Mountains outside of Sydney and regional areas like the Riverina. There just aren’t enough for the demand.
Patrick Reid (pictured), CEO of another big Not For Profit regional care provider, IRT, explained that his people have to spend a lot of time in a car to get to residents who live on farms and small towns to say deliver 30 minutes of care. Many people require this kind of support three to five times a week.
This really chews in to the amount of staff available – is it sustainable as the big numbers of baby boomers are coming through?
(IRT last week also announced that even though they had over $200 million in income last year, they only just covered their costs, with no money for a rainy day).
A Queensland care provider explains they will spend $100 in petrol in a four-wheel drive car to get a person to help shower a home care client that the government will only cover them for one hour of care service.
Meanwhile 120,000 people have been assessed by the ACAT teams (the Government people) to receive home care services but the government support packages aren’t available.
As we have written before, 16,000 people die a year waiting to get on the package they need.
The message is, we all need to plan ahead and for ourselves, because while government services are available, they may not be there where and when we need them.
And speak to your local member about how they are working for you!
