We are having a most distressing time at the moment.  Today Guru's Mum had to be assessed for full time HIGH DEPENDANCY care.

We don't have the full picture at the moment but the costs involved are astronomical - that's if you have assets and an income.

How come those out there who have never got off their "A*se's and done a decent days work nor contributed to the welfare and economy of this wonderful country can get EXACTLY the same opportunities and care that our Mum needs and not have to pay any extra like admission fees and bonds.

Mum and Dad (who died 18 months ago) both worked long and hard to raise their four sons, Dad went to war, as did many 1,000's of others to fight for a "fee world", put some away for a rainy day and never ever accepted any form of welfare, offered anything that they could for the welfare of others now find there are penalties to being a good upstanding citizen and being just really NICE GUYS.

Mum will have to pay quite a bit UP FRONT just to get into the care that unfortunately we can no longer provide and must be provided by "Professionals".

Sorry guys, know I'm chucking a "wobbly" without knowing all the facts at this stage, but just from what we have been told today...........well.

Just needed to let off some steam I guess.

Ma I feel for your family, some folks just have to keep "working" for a decent standard of living and others just get life handed to them on a plate it's not much help but I'll be thinking of you fellers! let off as much steam as you like, troubles spoken of are troubles halved! there will be others who will come along who are in the same boat.

Thanks Dave and I am hoping those among us who have been through this harrowing experience might shed some light or at least tell of their experience.  Any little bit helps.  Thanks again

G'day Ma,

As Dav0 says there will always be those who have everything handed to them on a plate and I know I will get into strife for this but it helps if your complexion is on the darker side, not trying to be racist just staing a fact.

Ain't that the truth JRH and I bet a suntan wouldn't be counted or of any help either.

Ma,Sylvia and I had the very same experience with Syls mum.Rather than go into the details on the Forum I will email you.Fellow Forumites I am not being rude to you by not posting our experience in public.Ma's problem is far more prevelant than you can ever believe.Cheers.Ibbo.

Thanks Martin will await your email

ibbo wrote:

---

Ma,Sylvia and I had the very same experience with Syls mum.Rather than go into the details on the Forum I will email you.Fellow Forumites I am not being rude to you by not posting our experience in public.Ma's problem is far more prevelant than you can ever believe.Cheers.Ibbo.

---

We went through the proccess earlier this year with kerry's mum,  It was an eye opener.Will also email our experience.

 

Thanks Gary and Kerry.

You bet it is more prevalent Ibbo.................!! It is EXACTLY the same as the Health system. Daisy and I between us pay about 5 thousand bucks a year on on private and medicare. We still have to pay extras on Doctors, hospitals,medicines, xrays and so on................. The dirty grubby unemployed mongrel who has never had a job.................has no intention of ever getting a job and will bring his kids up the same way.........gets it all for NIX!!! As you asked Ma......where is the justice?? We need this revolution...I tell you!! I used to joke about it but I am starting to get just a little serious about it, when I look at what is going on around us. We have illegals coming into this coutry and getting absolutely everything laid on and yet people who were willing to lay their lives down or be seperated from their families for years to fight for this country.......get sweet bugger-all!! Now they want us to start paying extra taxes to send to the countries who are ruled by dictators or militia men or just can't be bothered making an effort. I feel for you Ma......I really do and I don't know what the answer is unless we start to do something. I sincerely hope you get something worked out!!

I really do wish you guys would put your experiences on here rather than email. There are a lot of us going through are will go through etc. this process!!

But I guess they are private matters!!

-- Edited by Disco Duck on Wednesday 9th of December 2009 07:06:02 PM

whether it is PM, email or whatever I will put any relevant facts on here without mentioning any names or avatar names.  Your privacy will be respected and I can't thank all of you enough for whatever way you correspond with me.  At this stage we can do with all the help and experiences that you have all had.

Thankyou so very much

The whole thing reminds me of the Peter Sellers movie "The Mouse That Roared"
Get taken over by a benevolent nation as Australia was in the early days and the sit back and reap the benefits.

I'll join your revolution Ducky.

It's called Socialism, Elaine. It's a system where those of us who work, save, produce and invest, provide the economic where-with-all to provide for those whose career path has mainly consisted of suckling off the government teat.

(This is not meant as a reflection on those who spent their working life contributing to the production of the nation's goods and services and who may now be drawing down a modest pension or those less fortunates who rightly deserve the compassion of society at large)

-- Edited by jimricho on Wednesday 9th of December 2009 07:10:18 PM

From my perspective, being dependent on the govt by way of pension is just an existence, inspite of public health and bulk billing. I also have medical benefit extras which takes a reasonable amount off the cost of dental, optical and allied health such as physio and chiro if I need it. It comes down to quality of life. No benefits give anyone anymore than an existence, but somehow that other sector of the community seem to fare better than you and I. When you have the whole picture and it's shortcomings and demands, maybe you will share it with us. Many families have to sell mum and dad's house to ensure they are appropriately accommodated when they need care. I have made no provisions for my care when I can't do it on my own anymore, and my family certainly don't have anything to prop me up, so I'll be out in the cold on my own. I hope it turns out better for your and your families. In the mean time I'll keep singing to the aged in care with Sing Australia. We do gigs regularly about Cairns, and now at Christmas we're quite busy. It's fun and rewarding.

I'll look for you at D-Day JRH..............Onya Comrade!! Well said Jimricho. That is just about what it is!! Try to tell that to the government and "Oh NO.....this not the case at all. We are a democratic capitalist society" MY AR*SE!!! (Thank god for that, as I have no capital anyway........but I have tried) I read the book......"How To Get Rich Slowly" ....Actually, at one stage I thought I wrote it............hmmm?? Followed every word...........just didn't realise how slowly they meant! Daisy and I are now saving up for our second million.................the first million failed miserably.

I feel sorry for the Guru and whats happening Ma, when my mum was first diagnosed with alzimers and dementia.. we had a tough choice to make, put her in a home , or look after her ourselves.. we took the later approach, it was extreamly difficult for us, some times i think it would have been eaiser in a home, but dad didnt want it that way, im sure mum wouldnt have either.. as for the pension thing, and others getting stuff easy, sometimes i hate myself for being on it, have been since i left shool, im almost forty, spent most of it in and out of hospital with verious health problems,. and feel guilty about being on a pension, especially when you watch shows on tv and they show some dude on with full health and full pension , cheating the sysm, it make me mad.... i had a fight once when young with some stupid socail worker and almost lost my pension, Id give anything to have been able to work most of my life, like my brother, have a family of my own and stuff. .... but sometimes you cant always get what you want, and just deal with what you got, even when i get so angry for it... any ways , sorry for my rant.. just the way i feel,

My heart goes out to you Jason.  You are on your pension through no fault of your own and you certainly shouldn't feel guilty. Not in the least.

You are giving back to the community and the country by looking after your Dad and you both looked after your Mum.  That in itself has lessened the effect on the community and the finances of the country.

Don't ever think you don't "earn" your pension Jason.  The job you are doing and have been doing with your parents is a hard one and we can't put a monetary value on that.

Keep up the good work mate.

Ma

Dont feel bad Milo i for one am only to happy for my tax to help people like you ,we who are able to work should feel lucky to be able to do so keep your chin up you have done a good job helping your parents

Yes Milo................As Jimricho said.......

Those that NEED the pension should get it.

Mostly it is the ones that don't need it, that get the looking after!!

None of this is pointed at you mate...........!! Just a very good BUT very soft system. Soft in regards that the rewards don't go to the ones that deserve or need, but to the others.......you know what we mean!!

Keep smiling Milo and join us in the revolution.!!

-- Edited by Disco Duck on Thursday 10th of December 2009 07:12:26 AM

HI Ma, Its no better here in SA where we live, the nearest place we have is in Stansbury its called Elanora, it usedto be for low care clients but they now say low care clients are not viable, so it has now become a Palliative care facility. They will only accept low-care clients who can supply a large bond (& were not talking peanuts here the average person would have to sell there house) when dad went in 5yrs ago it was about $150,000, much more now. The staff dont have much time to spend with clients, they claim most of there time is taken up with paperwork recording there every move & action, as required by The Commonwhealth Department of the Aging. I would suspect most of us would have horror stories about aged care. Milo YOU ARE DOING A GREAT JOB & you are actualy saving the Goverment a lot of money considering what you are being paid for as a carer, So dont feel guilty its a dificult job you are doing Cheers Daryl.

i tried to get a carers allowance, but i have to live with my dad,.. .

Dear "Ma". "Milo" and all others,

My heart goes out to you all who are going through this very emotionally stressful situation. I took care to word my previous post on this topic so as not to offend anyone who is genuine in their needs and I hope I succeeded. I thank "Disco Duck" for reinforcing this.

My next door neighbour who is also a very good friend went through years of this and I was horrified at what he told me about the system. He was getting conflicting and confusing "advice" all round and found in the end that The Aged-care Rights Service, http://www.tars.com.au/ were the most helpful.

Kindest regards,

Jim

With all the advice and experiences shared with us  either by thread, PM or email, they all seem to have one common denominator:

"THE SYSTEM STINKS!!!!  AND IS ONE MAJOR RIP OFF"

When you read all the literature provided the one thing that sticks out is that one page contradicts the other and the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing.

If even half the effort and money put into producing these useless and wasteless "pamphlets" went into the care of those needing such and all the paperwork and needless red tape was brought back to basics we might then be a little waY further to providing the necessaries.    (I did say MIGHT)

The lack of staff in the facility we visited yesterday meant that we could walk in (and obviously ANYONE, visistors or patients) could walk out and nobody would be any the wiser.

Patients sitting propped up in lounge chairs watching a television with no volume whatsoever is  to my mind not a place where our Mum needs to be.

Regardless of the reason for these people being in this facility, television as a babysitter is no compensation for stimulation or attention that if given in the proper context and quantities (and don't forget quality) would perhaps go a little way to making the "existence" of the patients a a bit more tollerable and happy.

Needless to say we will be "sussing out" some facilities further afield and even though finding a more suitable facility would be inconvenient to us, in having to travel, it is a very small price to pay for the comfort and care for Mum and which she so richly deserves.

As for the costs involved, well that is another kettle of fish entirely.

We will cross that bridge when we come to it.

Elaine

Ma you are right wait and see i have been to a by seminar on this matter the one thing i got out of it is everybody has to be accessed ACAT team for level of care . some levels you pay some you dont ,if you do it is an interest free loan that is you give them the money and they use the interest when you pass on the family get the money back,

The ACAT mob did the assessment yesterday Brickies.  Assessed as HIGH DEPENDENCY CARE.

The financial side of things will be addressed today as will checking out other facilities.  The nusrsing home we got the printed information from yesterday charges 11% interest, certainly not interest free.

Thanks for the response, very much appreciated.

-- Edited by Ma on Thursday 10th of December 2009 06:55:08 AM

No Ma its you that give them the interest free loan ,you give them the money and they kept the interest . if you dont give them the money they charge you 11% on the sum that was agreed amount if you dont pay up front , it sould be centrelink you need to talk to

Thanks Brickies,  still all very confused here.  Things will fall into place eventually.

Good luck with getting loved ones into care!!!

Dunno what they do with all that money...they certainly dont bother to pay their staff enough. I have worked in Aged Care most of my life, and am still at it, in a different capacity! I reached the dizzying heights of Hostel Supervisor in the 90's in the ACT, and my base rate of pay was $12.44. My daughter at the same time worked for Civic Video, hiring videos out and working a cash register. Her base rate was $13.90. What does that say about the importance society puts on the care of our frailest elderly? I worked 11 hour days at least twice a week but only got paid for 8 hours because"we cant afford overtime" I never worked so hard in my life! Needless to say after 2 and a half years, 3 managers, 8 RN'n (We only had 1 at a time) and only 2 carers remaining who'd been there when I started, I left. A resident made a speech when I left that I was the only one who cared about them and I cried. I cried for weeks.

Another 2 years followed of working in a garden nursery ...thats hard work too but great emotionally, and I went back to it as a carer in the community. Much more enjoyable work with the added benefit of helping people to stay out of "those" places! I've met quite a few families who care for Mum or Dad at home because they cant get them into a good place (pensioners have a huge waiting list!) or because they dont want to spend so much money. It can work well, but a lot depends on strong relationships.

Country Aged Care facilities seem to be more stable staff-wise, because other employment opportunities are non existent, and that might make for better care, but theres no guarantees with anything in life.

Keep us posted as you work through this mine-field!

So So true guys, my wife worked in aged care , seen an  unfair bit of it .

The paper work gets the high care level of attention , thats the red tap side of it .

Some times you wonder why we tried to better our life style when you can have it all for nothing.

I often refer to old Slims song ;

I,d rather be a has been than a never was at all .

It makes my blood boil to see some getting it all for nothing & the tax man/woman gets a slap in the face for their effort .

It all revolves around the same problem , lack of disipline & respect & that god given bag of socalled rights the day they are born.

I may be from the old school & i can live with that .