Coffs Harbour aged care centres at full capacity as elderly unable to access care

Aged care shortages are causing hospitals to be filled by elderly patients - as they desperately wait to be placed into care.

Colin Phipps, 70, has spent the past three months in hospital, battling Parkinson's and dementia.

He’s been placed on a seemingly indefinite waitlist - for over a year – to be admitted into an aged care centre.

Mr Phipps‘ wife, Brigit Mackenzie, 69, has been searching far and wide to get him into a centre for his needs.

“During Covid I had no help. I was burnt out and couldn’t look after him,” Mrs Mackenzie said.

Too ill to be at home – yet not ill enough to require hospital treatment – Mr Phipps been stuck in a hospital bed for three months.

Colin Phipps, 70, has been placed in Coffs Harbour hospital for 3 months. He has been on a waiting list for an aged care facility for a year, without any luck. Picture: Brigit Mackenzie

She said the entire process has been “appalling”.

“It’s a disgrace. Staff are leaving in droves due to poor pay and work conditions,” she said.

Mrs Mackenzie has been applying to aged care centres separately and said each application requires a multi-page form that takes a while.

“I’ve tried about 10 in a year,” she said.

From a lack of beds, to a lack of staff to man the beds - she has either been giving straight “NO”s or been placed on a waitlist.

The gruelling process has been made even more straining as her husband's condition has deteriorated.

“He’s in a fog and really needs people looking after him,” she said.

Brigit Mackenzie, 69 - posing with Russell Crowe - has desperately tried to get her husband into an aged care centre to match his high needs. Picture: supplied

Staff aren’t sticking around ina aged care due to harsh working conditions, below-average pay and increased working pressure.

Mrs Mackenzie is a nurse and said she’s unsurprised by the state of aged-care.

“Why would staff stick around? It’s shocking that they're so understaffed”

Recently, Woolgoolga aged care centre had to freeze new admissions due to a staff shortage.

Having worked in the hospital system for over 25 years, Mrs Mackenzie said this problem has been building for a while.

“Everything has been lagging behind for 10 years,” Mrs Mackenzie said.

“I don’t know what happens to homeless or disabled people,” she said.

Keith McMullum, labor candidate in Coffs Harbour said labor would the pay worker more and ensure there are “more carers”.

Liberal candidate Simon Chaseling said he is “disturbed by the low wages and poor treatment of staff”.

“A nation can be judged by the way it treats its elderly and most vulnerable - we can do much better,” Mr Chaseling said.

Mr Phipps is booked into The Shoreline Luxury, however it doesn’t open until the end of the year.

For many residents in Coffs Harbour - some with severe sickness or homelessness, the wait may go on.