50 patients in Mackay, Whitsunday hospitals as aged care crisis bites

The push for more aged care and retirement housing is intensifying amid revelations that dozens of elderly people remain in hospital awaiting a home. Some are having to stay for 18 months.

The push for more aged care and retirement housing across the region has fresh force after the revelation that fifty elderly people remain in hospital awaiting a home tailored to their needs.

The push for more aged care and retirement housing is intensifying amid revelations that 50 elderly people remain in hospital awaiting a home tailored to their needs.

Mackay Health and Hospital Service CEO Susan Gannon said the length of stay for some patients ranged from 13 days to nearly a year and a half.

She confirmed there were 32 people in Mackay Base Hospital, five at Sarina, two at Collinsville, one in Proserpine and 10 in a private facility funded by Mackay Hospital and Health Service.

“It’s hard to make a hospital feel like home,” Ms Gannon said.

Mackay Base Hospital.

“However we do our best and encourage family members to bring in familiar items and to decorate their room.

“We recognise that a busy hospital environment is not a great long-term living environment, particularly for aged care patients with symptoms of dementia who do best in a low-stimulation environment.

“(But) their care needs have increased, and their families who have tried their very best to look after them can no longer provide the around-the-clock care needed.”

Mackay Hospital and Health Service CEO Susan Gannon said there were 50 long-term patients awaiting retirement or aged care in the region’s hospitals. Photo: Zoe Devenport

Ms Gannon said the high number of patients waiting for a residential aged care facility or NDIS support “affects our ability to admit acutely unwell people to hospital” and resulted in “longer stays in emergency” for other patients.

She said the issue was “a strong priority” for the MHHS as an additional 128 beds within their $250 million expansion will not come on line until 2026.

Retirement and aged care shortages in the Greater Whitsundays

Woollam Constructions director Craig Percival said at the Greater Whitsundays Community Housing Summit on August 15 that he knew people waiting for placement were languishing in hospitals.

Woollam Constructions managing director Craig Percival at a think tank to revive Mackay's city centre. Picture: Heidi Petith

Mr Percival said the recently completed OzCare facility in West Mackay was the “fastest filling” in his recent memory, with 120 beds already at 98 per cent capacity after opening in 2020.

“With aged care, one of the big changes has been the fact that the federal government formerly would provide licenses (and that indicated — to providers there was demand for additional beds in those regions,” he said.

“(Since that stopped) two years ago … it’s really up to the providers to decide where they want to go and it’s become more business orientated.”

Though he argued this could benefit Mackay where OzCare’s success indicated a return for providers’ investment, Mr Percival said it was sad to know so many people were forced to stay in hospitals.

Mr Percival also leads ReNew Mackay, a consortium that hopes to reform Mackay’s CBD liveability and has proposed a high-rise retirement and multi-use development on River St.

ReNew Mackay property developers Craig Percival and Sean Kelly have won the tender to develop land in Mackay's Waterfront Priority Development Area. Picture: Tara Miko

How can we attract aged care providers to regional areas?

Mackay Regional Council provides incentives to draw aged care and retirement living providers, and a spokesman said three development applications for such plans were being considered for approval.

These include an aged care facility in West Mackay, a retirement estate in Rural View, and a retirement facility in Andergrove.

The Facilitating Development in the Mackay Region Policy includes a 50 per cent concession for infrastructure charges to a maximum concession value of $1M, or a 100 per cent concession if the provider is a recognised charity.

Aged care and retirement housing providers now need to be drawn to the region, rather than receiving a licence from government.

Like Ms Gannon, a Queensland Health spokesman said long-stay patients in public hospitals and transitioning them to the community has significant resource implications.

Long-term patients worsen delays for emergency care

“Queensland Health’s Long-Stay Rapid Response Program, launched in 2021, employs dedicated staff to help discharge long-stay patients, or those at risk of becoming long-stay patients,” he said.

“The Queensland Government invested $4 million in the program in 2021 and has since committed an additional $16 million over four years to continue the program through to 2025-26.

“As of August 2023, 523 patients approved for program funding have left hospital, with a further 66 patients in the process of being supported to discharge. This has saved an estimated 30,000 bed days and more than $61 million.”

The state Department of Housing and the federal Department of Aged Care were contacted but did not respond by deadline.