The first paragraph to this sales brochure alerted me to what was to come.

From "unleashing exciting new opportunities to improve" we get to the nitty-gritty:

"About the Author ............. is CEO of Melbourne-based aged care brokerage ............." With a link to an Australian Company

Seeing one in your circle die off every other month, or week, is hardly "exciting new".

All of this article points to the fact that often you are better off spending all your money by downsizing your home until you then have very little left by the time you are likely to need aged care, having had fun times spending the money before not being able to.

If you will still go into the same aged care facility as those who had to pay thousands in bonds etc before they could enter, then what is the problem?

Mind you, when I took my mother to have a look at a new aged care facility in our town, there were two separate dining areas. Both were very nice, but one had more plush tables, chairs, furnishings and crockery, as well as crystal wine glasses at each place setting.

Our guide explained excitedly that the nicer room was for those 'who could afford the higher payments'.
Mum decided she wanted the dining area where she could drink wine...

Hi Suse

Wine is definitly a priority. I reckon it is an older, almost gone, generation who think useful and impressive are:

- crystal glasses (can't dishwash)
- silver utensils, and
- gold edged plates (you can't dishwash or microwave)

If they pay their last shekels for such "luxuries" gud luk to um.

Maybe I'm getting older and cranky ;-)

Pete

This surely highlights the case for in home care provided in free market competition by innovative folks; and reportedly almost halving the cost of health care!

And putting control back in hands which are routinely deprived of it on the say so of a "Doctor" who may reportedly have never ever seen the "victim"/commercial opportunity?

And when a very valuable estate may be in play, sadly not all the players are there supporting the needs and or wishes of the elderly?

It is good, we now have someone (my aged care) looking over the shoulder, so to speak, of some or most of the players/providers?

Who would cost less if paid for outcomes rather than hollow meaningless service provision!? Which reportedly all but doubles the cost of healthcare in this country?

Some of whom seem to churn out nursing home patients almost as well as a butcher churning out sausages and almost as

The only time I had a conversation with or eyeballed my transit care Doctor was as I was

The last time I looked, a stroke is something that is entirely involuntary! Moreover I can report, I was sent home before any of the needed alterations were even commenced and without the promised incontinence.

My much maligned memory works as well as ever; in fact I can recall almost verbatim i.e. what John Howard said to a reporter at his first address after introducing the GST in the face of an 87% popular opposition.

When asked why a GST? He replied, well it was either the GST or a transaction tax, and a transaction tax was thought to be regressive. Nothing wrong with my usually reliable memory even if some folks would have important others believe otherwise!

I think this area of "care" needs a second and a third look if only to ensure the undefended are being accorded their due rights and in full measure!?
Rhrosty.

Apologies For some apparently missing words which should read, almost as thoughtfully, and secondly just as I was leaving. Rhrosty.

You are right Rhrosty, having worked in aged care community services areas for many years, I can tell you for sure that it isn't the Government, or even most of the service providers, that the elderly should be most wary of as they enter their most vulnerable years.
Unfortunately it is their nearest and dearest!

It always amazed me how many 'relatives, neighbours, and friends' pop up out of the woodwork just as the oldies edge nearer to needing permanent care or moving into the next life.
Suddenly there are several people they haven't seen for years trying to make helpful suggestions of what to do with their house, possessions, money, wills, power of attorneys etc.

Even worse is when their own children start squabbling over the spoils before the parent has even moved, or died. Siblings that had formerly appeared to get on, suddenly began trying to win favors with parents by putting down the others.
It is truly awful....