CHAIRMAN of Oberon’s Aged Care Committee, Ian Whalan is feeling confident that the Federal Government may have found the solution to the aged care crisis in Australia.
He said the government is talking about offering interest free money to private operators to set up aged care facilities.
“I feel very good about that,” Mr Whalan said.
“I think it could be the answer.
“We want Oberon to be right on the crest of that wave,” he said.
Mr Whalan and Cr Keith Sullivan represented the Oberon Aged Care Committee at a meeting with Member for Macquarie Bob Debus earlier this month.
“It was a very positive meeting,” Mr Whalan said.
“I feel really good progress was made and we expect a further announcement in May.”
He said the problem stems from the fact that too many aged people are coming up who require a high degree of care.
“If you are 80 and going away for high care, you are going away to die,” Mr Whalan said.
“That’s the whole tragedy of it.
“Certainly that’s what motivates me.
“If we don’t keep at it, nothing gets done.”
Mr Whalan and Oberon Mayor Bob Hooper also attended the Garling Inquiry held in Bathurst on March 17.
“Even though it was an inquiry into acute care in NSW public hospitals we wanted to put forward Oberon’s case,” Mr Whalan said.
“It is very important to keep Oberon on the agenda.
“The truth is acute care beds are being taken up by aged care patients.”
Mr Whalan said he and the mayor were happy with the commissioner’s response, describing it as very positive.
On the morning of the inquiry Commissioner Peter Garling spent just over an hour at Oberon’s Multi Purpose Service.
Mr Whalan told the inquiry that when the acute care beds are required the aged care patients are required to leave town.
“These people are people that are at the frailest time of their life, at the time when they most need family and friends. It’s the hardest thing to force them to leave our town.”
Mr Whalan told the commissioner that 40 years ago Oberon Base Hospital had 12 aged care beds.
“Since our new MPS was built in the late 90s, we now have eight aged care beds that are continually filled.
“The people of the town are basically waiting for somebody to die to acquire a bed within the hospital, within their town.
“I don’t think I need to stress the heartache and the pain there is in taking somebody from a country community and putting them away in a totally strange environment.
“I request that the State Government find us some extra beds for the purpose of aged care,” Mr Whalan said.
Thanks to his early morning visit, Commissioner Garling showed a comprehensive grasp of the situation in Oberon as he discussed the major issues with Mr Whalan.
“I think I have a real understanding of the problem,” Commissioner Garling said.
“In one sense it is easily solved by the construction of an additional aged care facility. The question is where does the funding for that come from, and where does the staffing come from.”
“That is what we have been fighting for,” Mr Whalan replied.
“We don’t care where the money comes from as long as we acquire some beds for our people, so our old people are not forced to leave town.”
In closing, Commissioner Garling said that under the terms of reference for the inquiry he could not look at aged care issues, however, he was able to examine what stops people from getting acute care services.
He said the situation was very adequately explained to him when he visited Oberon MPS that morning.
“You have very good staff there it would seem to me,” Commissioner Garling said.
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