Aged care bed crisis hits boiling point for families waiting years
Betty Cameron's husband's dementia is worsening, but he has been waiting two years for a residential aged care bed in South Australia, which has the nation's longest wait times.
For the past two years, Betty Cameron has been searching for an aged care bed for her husband, Darryl, who is suffering from late-stage dementia in South Australia. The couple resides in the Riverland, a three-hour drive from Adelaide. The state government estimates that 10,600 additional federal residential aged care places are needed each year over the next two decades to meet demand.
Darryl's funding is likely to end in three weeks, leaving him with the possibility of hospitalisation if an aged care bed is not secured. Ms Cameron wants to be with her husband daily, despite the unfeasibility of the daily drive to Mildura, about 150 kilometres away. She feels unseen by the system meant to help and has experienced intense emotional stress due to the situation.
The aged care crisis is a nationwide issue, with South Australia experiencing the longest wait times in the country. The state government is working on solutions, including generating 650 new beds from a no-interest loan scheme and creating 600 beds in the old Women's and Children's Hospital.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
