Aged care bed crisis hits boiling point for families waiting years

Horrendous, horrible and sleepless nights.

This was how 74-year-old Betty Cameron described the past two years trying to find her husband a residential aged care bed in South Australia.

Darryl Cameron has late-stage dementia, and is living in NDIS-funded supported independent living care.

With his health declining, Ms Cameron was told her husband's funding is likely to cease in three weeks, with Mr Cameron now facing hospitalisation if an aged care bed is not secured.

"If he was a right [frame] of mind, he would want to be dead now,"

Ms Cameron said.

"He always said he hoped his heart would give out before he got to this point."

Mr Cameron's NDIS provider, Hola Support, said his funding was being reviewed through an NDIS tribunal process.

The couple live three hours away from Adelaide in the state's Riverland, a drive Ms Cameron said is unfeasible to do each day if her husband were relocated.

She was left to look interstate in Mildura, about 150 kilometres away, for a suitable facility she could visit daily due to unavailability in the Riverland.

"I want to be there every day with him. I want to have fun and just interact with him until he does pass away," she said.

"I don't want to be somewhere else, and then they ring and say I'm sorry he's passed away."

Ms Cameron said the process has taken a significant mental toll on her and she has felt unseen by a system meant to help.

"Some days I feel like punching everyone out, and other days I'm alright," she said.

"I get more days of wanting to punch people out than I do good days.

"When this is all sorted, I'll be right. But until then, nah, I'm a mess some days."

Stuck in bed and waiting

The aged care crisis is a national issue, with all states and territories seeking ways to find solutions.

South Australia is the oldest mainland state and has the longest wait times in the country for residential aged care beds.

There are also about 500 people in hospital waiting for a residential aged care bed in the state. Four years ago, it was only 60.

NDIS support coordinator Lisa Turton said aged care bed shortages have been an issue for more than a decade.

She said some families are having to make life-altering choices because of the delays.

"I've been involved with participants who have had to make choices over their life expectancy over accommodation previously. It's inhumane,"

she said.

Ms Turton believed infrastructure across the state needed to be fast-tracked, with regional areas prioritised.

"They should at least quadruple accommodation and facilities in regional areas, as there is the room to build,"

she said.

"[There should be] a focus on getting more staff to the area that are passionate about this field, or offering incentives and supporting people to find their passion in supporting others."

Federal-state stalemate

Conducting a roundtable with stakeholders last week, South Australia's Minister for Health and Wellbeing, Blair Boyer, said the state government would leave "no stone unturned" to address the aged care crisis.

"[The statistics] will continue to grow and potentially be much higher next year if we don't get some action and support from the federal government, who are responsible for aged care in this nation," he said.

The minister hoped to generate 650 new beds from a recent no-interest loan scheme for developers, as well as create 600 beds inside part of the old Women's and Children's Hospital.

"We need at least 10,600 additional federal residential aged care places nationally each year over the next two decades,"

Minister Boyer said.

"Last year, just 800 beds were added to the system."

A spokesperson for the federal Minister for Aged Care and Seniors said delayed discharge is a nationwide challenge and it invested $600 million in 27 state and territory initiatives to reduce delayed discharge.

"We're supporting the construction of around 5,000 additional residential aged care beds [nationally] each year," the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said 268 beds were slated across five Adelaide sites as part of the 5,000-bed plan.

Darryl deserves dignity

Ensuring her husband has dignity is front of mind for Ms Cameron.

She said securing an aged care bed is the only way he would receive the consideration and care he deserves.

"Just think about these people who have put in years looking after this country. Giving something back to them, that's what they need to do," she said.

"[Darryl] deserves to be looked after and well thought of because he's been a good person and, you know, he never did anything wrong."

Ms Cameron will continue to try to savour the special moments with her husband where she can until a bed is secured.

"He is just beautiful. I love it when he remembers my nickname, Betty Spaghetti," she said.

"If he comes out with that or if he just looks at me and says, 'I love you darling,' it makes my day."