This week ABC Mornings with Leon Compton is taking a deep dive into aged care. The statewide radio program is exploring how ready Tasmanians are for all the possibilities in our ageing journeys, and the degree of aged care support many of us will need.
On Tuesday morning OneCare CEO Pete Williams joined Leon for the first half hour of the program to discuss a whole range of topics around the central message that aged care planning should begin well before it’s necessary. Listen to the interview here, following the first news bulletin:
- How most aged care admissions happen in a crisis: for example, after a period of illness and hospitalisation, rather than proactive planning. This can create a high degree of emotional stress, as families are trying to understand and make major decisions about care options, costs and administrative processes when their loved one is in the midst of a health event.
- The importance of planning ahead: for older people to learn about the services in their area, visit facilities, and consider their care preferences. When someone needs to enter residential aged care after a hospital stay, families may need to accept the first available bed, rather than choosing their preferred facility close to their family and community.
- An understanding about the breadth of aged care services: many people plan to live at home indefinitely, and don’t talk openly about ageing and care options with their families. There’s a whole range of options available, including home care that helps you remain at home safely, or residential villages where you can downsize to a low maintenance home and be part of a social retirement community. These are often co-located with residential aged care, making it easy to get home care support in your independent living unit, and then ease the transition into residential care if your needs increase.
- Support for carers: when a person is caring for an ageing family member, that carer also needs support. Looking after a loved one as their care needs increase can be emotionally and physically overwhelming. When a carer needs a break, respite care is available at facilities – and it’s often an older person’s first positive exposure to aged care services, where they may find they enjoy the social connections and activities with peers more than they expected!
- Financial support: aged care is for everyone, not just those with assets to draw on. Government-funded supported places are available across all residential aged care homes. For people who need some home care help to remain safely in their own home, OneCare also helps people apply for Support at Home funding packages and navigate the My Aged Care system.
