Providing Better Care For The Elderly In Australia

By Bruce Jopples


The issues that the elderly in Australia are forced to deal with on a daily basis are reaching crisis level. It is difficult for those who have crossed over the age of sixty five to live a full and healthy life. There are plenty of people who are older than sixty five that have the capacity for living life to the fullest, yet the structure of the system actually inhibits their ability to do so.

The funds offered by the government for aging care are essentially minimal. When you factor in the cost of living, the cost of medications, and the cost of taking good care of oneself the small amount that the government is able to give the public keeps them in a position of peril.

Low cost nursing homes are always over capacity. Financial issues or health care issues can easily drive the aging population into a nursing home that will neglect and abuse them. The institutions that are most affordable do not provide even basic care in many instances, and the use of restraints and medication is highly questionable. Residents are not comfortable reporting the problems as there is a high likelihood for retaliation from those who have power over them.

The need for complete reform in the aging system is very evident. Those who are not able to afford life on their own often end up with lengthy hospital stays while their name is placed on a waiting list for a low quality nursing home. Those who are still living on their own often do not have access to some of the essentials such as quality food and good nutrition.

The biggest problem is not necessarily health. The money to live a normal lifestyle is not provided by the government. If there is not a reasonable way to live independently the only solution is a nursing home. With the abuse and neglect that many suffer the general health of the residents often declines quickly. Premature death is likely upon entry into a facility.

Those who can afford to live independently are becoming the minority. These are individuals that were able to save, invest, and earn enough in their working life to maintain a reasonable lifestyle after their retirement. Getting help with some of their needs is often difficult, especially for those in farther removed locations.

The elderly in Australia need to have better advocacy and better living arrangements if they can not care for themselves. Those who are able to provide the care they need for themselves but are unable to live on the limited amount offered by the government are at the most risk. It is time to consider the treatment of the aging population to be a mark on the goodness of society and make the appropriate changes.




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