General News
31 December, 2022
Aged care on national agenda
LIONS Australia could back a national campaign for supported residential aged services in rural towns. Wedderburn Lions Club has taken its 20-year campaign for an aged care facility to the international organisation’s Australian leaders. Club aged...
LIONS Australia could back a national campaign for supported residential aged services in rural towns.
Wedderburn Lions Club has taken its 20-year campaign for an aged care facility to the international organisation’s Australian leaders.
Club aged care sub-committee chair Jude Raftis said: “A national awareness campaign with Lions would put the spotlight on the inequities in aged care, particularly in small rural areas.
“This spotlight would be across the nation and will facilitate Lions’ ability to put pressure on governments for resolutions. Aged care is a hot topic at present and Lions believe it is important to use this momentum in fighting for Wedderburn,” she said.
The bid goes to a multi-district conference in Sydney next month and if accepted, taken to the Lions convention for approval.
Jude said: “The recent business plan completed by Wedderburn Lions Club demonstrated that a supported residential service for aged care in Wedderburn was not financially viable. The lack of viability proved to be an issue, not only for Wedderburn, but also for any other small rural town.
“The main reason for this lack of viability is that they cannot transfer home care packages to a facility once a person leaves their home and goes to an SRS,” she said.
“If they enter a fully-fledged aged care facility, such as Inglewood operates, then funding is needs based and provided by the Federal Government. This is not the case with an SRS as state legislation governs them.
“Despite this setback, it will not deter Lions from fighting for better outcomes for our aged residents.”
Jude said that before the state election, Lions met with Martha Haylett, now the member for Ripon.
“At that meeting, Martha committed to Lions, that if elected, she would bring the State Minister for Health and the Minister for Aged Care to Wedderburn to familiarise them with the issues. Lions now look forward to this meeting in the New Year.”