The struggle for aged care support is a heartbreaking reality for many older Australians, and the story of Peter O'Shannessy is a powerful example of this crisis. But is the system failing them? The answer might be more complex than you think.
After a life-altering throat cancer surgery, 74-year-old Peter returned home, unable to speak or eat. He was approved for a level-three home care package, offering much-needed relief with specialized equipment and personal care. But here's where it gets frustrating: the family's joy was short-lived as they discovered a staggering wait time.
They were informed of a 121,000-person-long national queue, with an estimated wait of seven to nine months for the care package. This delay proved devastating when Peter's cancer returned, leaving him terminal and in urgent need of nursing care. The family's desperation led them to seek a reassessment, hoping to expedite the process.
Peter's daughter, Eloise Randall, vividly recalls the urgency: 'Dad's needs were escalating rapidly. We needed personal care and nursing assistance immediately.' The family's pleas for help fell on deaf ears, as they were caught in a bureaucratic maze.
The government agency, My Aged Care, referred them to Aspire4Life, one of the many companies now responsible for assessments, following the government's decision to partially privatize the system at a cost of over $1.2 billion. This shift marked a significant change from the previous 40 years, where assessments were conducted by the Aged Care Assessment Teams (ACAT) within state health departments.
But here's where it gets controversial: the latest figures reveal a shocking 116,000 people awaiting assessments nationwide. Eloise's desperate calls for support went unanswered, with Aspire4Life scheduling a reassessment eight weeks away, despite the urgency.
Tragically, Peter passed away four weeks before this reassessment. His final days were marked by suffering and fear, with his family feeling utterly helpless. Eloise tearfully recounts the harrowing experience, emphasizing the lack of support and the bureaucratic hurdles they faced.
Aspire4Life, a non-profit, clarified that they were responsible for assessing support services, not medical care, and cited high demand as a universal challenge. However, they are not alone in their struggles. Former ACAT assessor Coral Wilkinson now assists families in Cairns, witnessing the distress caused by prolonged wait times.
'People are waiting months, sometimes up to 10 months, for an assessment,' Coral reveals. 'They're desperate, calling us in tears. Some end up in hospitals or nursing homes due to the lack of home support.' She believes the Department of Health and the new assessment companies were ill-prepared for the transition.
A point of contention: The government disagrees with the notion of long wait times, citing a median wait of 23 days in the July-September quarter. However, this claim is disputed by former assessors like Janine Mason, who left her role due to pressure to rush assessments.
Janine exposes a disturbing practice: elderly individuals are removed from the waiting list if they don't answer phone calls promptly, often without their knowledge. 'There are KPIs for contact attempts, and referrals can be rejected if they don't respond,' she explains. This practice has been confirmed by other workers and families, raising serious concerns.
Interestingly, the aged care royal commission in 2021 recommended streamlining assessments but did not endorse privatization. It advocated for independent assessors to avoid conflicts of interest. Yet, the ABC reveals that over half of the contracted assessment companies are also service providers or linked to them.
The government assures robust measures to prevent conflicts, but the ABC's findings suggest otherwise. The tender document includes KPIs, such as a 10-day turnaround for urgent assessments and face-to-face meetings for 95% of cases. However, the Department recently announced a 12-month grace period for enforcing these KPIs.
Peter's family's grief is compounded by the fear for other elderly Australians without family support. Eloise poignantly expresses her despair for the vulnerable, isolated elderly, struggling to navigate the complex system. She believes their father's final wish to speak again was denied by a system that failed to provide the necessary care.
What do you think? Is the aged care system in Australia failing its elderly citizens? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below, and let's continue this important conversation.
