Kilkivan & District Community Care Association appeals for government support for aged care services
Kilkivan is adored by its large elderly population, but a lack of proper aged care in the area could force them to leave their beloved town. Watch the video.
Gympie
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Kilkivan residents are tired of “sucking it up” when it comes to a lack of aged care services with some forced to make the heartbreaking decision to leave the town they love for better health care.
Community groups and residents are calling on state and federal governments to offer more support so residents can comfortably grow old in the region.
Rosie Fitzgerald said experiences with her own parents in town prompted her passion for bringing better services to Kilkivan.
The Kilkivan and District Community Care Association president helped facilitate a partnership with Trilogy care and Mable to provide better access to in-home care to residents.
The concept, Kilkivan Care, marked a key milestone this month with 10 in-home care packages co-ordinated across Kilkivan and surrounding suburbs.
Care packages can include assistance with everyday domestic tasks, such as showering, grocery shopping and cleaning, as well as some limited healthcare services.
Since appointing Kilkivan Care co-ordinator Sylvia McLoughlin in July, the charity organisation has almost doubled its support offered to residents.
Ms Fitzgerald said despite the advances, there is immense financial pressure that requires government support.
“Kilkivan Care is experiencing steadily increasing demand for our services, but funding this support remains a huge challenge,” she said.
“There is an enormous number of unpaid hours involved.”
Elderly residents could access Commonwealth Home Support Programme funding, but that only provided an hour and a half of domestic care a fortnight.
Ms Fitzgerald said this barely scratched the surface of the community’s needs.
“It takes a lot for stoic country people to put their hands up and ask for money,” she said.
“I used to be embarrassed … but I’m not embarrassed anymore.”
She said the group appealed to all three levels of government for more support.
“They all make supportive noises,” Ms Fitzgerald said.
“But the fact is … we need more help from them. We think our seniors deserve much more help.”
Ms McLoughlin said the lack of accessible aged care was an affront residents’ rights.
“At the end of the day, the numbers … are too low for the (government) to want to invest,” she said.
“This is their home – and they want to stay here, but they know that they’re probably not going to be able to unless we do some serious work.
“These people are entitled to good quality aged care as anyone else, and they’re not asking for much.”
A spokesperson for the Federal Department of Health and Aged Care said they are aware of the ongoing need for in-home aged care in the Wide Bay.
“The Department of Health and Aged Care monitors these service demand issues and grant funding opportunities continue to be available for CHSP providers to address demand gaps.”
Gympie Regional Council was also approached for comment.
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