Man with Down syndrome Mark Deans allowed to stay with mum in aged care

An elderly woman and her son with Down syndrome will be allowed to remain together after a “hard battle” against red tape, with the family hoping to pave the way for others facing the same situation.

Mark and Anna Deans will be allowed to stay in aged care together at Balmoral Grove indefinitely. Picture: Alan Barber

A mother and son have won a “hard battle” against red tape that threatened to keep them apart.

Anne Deans, 81, is the primary caregiver of her son 57-year-old Mark, who has Down syndrome.

In September the Geelong Advertiser reported that red tape was threatening to keep the pair apart due to Mr Deans not being allowed into the same aged care facility as his mother, as he was deemed too young.

As it stands, Victorians under the age of 65 are unable to be admitted to aged care without an assessment, something that Mr Deans found hard to attain.

But on Friday, after a long and difficult fight, the pair got the news they had been hoping to hear for months.

The duo will be allowed to stay together.

The mother and son duo were all smiles on Tuesday after receiving the good news. Picture: Sharon Demopoulos

“We are so excited,” Mr Deans’ sister Sharon Demopoulos said.

“It’s funny, Mark didn’t know what was going on, it would have been a real problem if he had to leave because he would not have understood what was happening, which would have been devastating for mum.”

Following the Geelong Advertiser’s original article, the family met with an adviser of the federal Aged Care Minister Anika Wells.

They received a call notifying them that Mr Deans would receive an aged care assessment, which would decide whether he would be suitable for aged care.

After a nervous wait, on Friday they received the “amazing phone call” they were hoping for.

The pair will remain at Calvary Balmoral Grove aged care in Grovedale, where Mr Deans has been allowed to stay in recent months temporarily.

“Their team has been so supportive,” Ms Demopoulos said.

“We just couldn’t look after him the way he needs.”

Exemptions are made for Indigenous Australians under 65 due to their shorter life expectancy, something Ms Demopoulos believes should be extended to people with Down syndrome for the same reason.

“It’s quite complex,” she said.

Ms Demopoulos hopes her brother’s case paves the way for other families in a similar situation to get a positive outcome.

“It was a long journey, we don’t want anyone else to have to go through this,” Ms Demopoulos said.

“A lot of other people in the same situation have reached out to us.”

Originally published as Man with Down syndrome Mark Deans allowed to stay with mum in aged care