General News
8 November, 2023
Have your say on aged care
AN aged care steering group will host a listening post next week to give the community an opportunity to have its say on the future. As Western District Newspapers reported in August, a steering group was formed following the closure of May Noonan...
A CHANGE of date has been announced for this week’s aged care steering committee listening post in Terang.
Update: An earlier version of this article, published in the November 9 editions of the Terang Express and Mortlake Dispatch, stated the listening post would be held on Tuesday, November 14. However, after publication, the steering group announced the date had been changed to Wednesday, November 15.
AN aged care steering group will host a listening post next week to give the community an opportunity to have its say on the future.
As Western District Newspapers reported in August, a steering group was formed following the closure of May Noonan aged care centre, which was announced on May 31 this year.
The plan to develop the working group received widespread support at a community meeting attended by around 200 people in July, and the seven-member group was formed shortly afterwards.
Steering group member Chris O’Connor, a former Corangamite Shire councillor and mayor, said the group would be hosting the listening post next week as community support was a vital step in advocating for Terang’s aged care future.
The listening post will be held next Tuesday (November 14) from 10am-2pm outside the Terang Co-op IGA on High Street.
Mr O’Connor said the listening post would be an opportunity for all to provide feedback, share their perspective, provide personal experience and throw their support behind the concept.
“To not only the elderly but to everyone in Terang, don’t underestimate the importance of your view,” he said.
“We’ll have difficulties and hurdles in front of us to achieve what we’re determined to achieve.
“People’s views will really strengthen our case moving forward because we can take that to bureaucrats and government – firsthand information is really valuable.”
Mr O’Connor said the steering group had already undertaken exploratory research to prove there was a viable need for aged care in the community.
“It’s not a surprise but in our exploratory work what we found was our aged numbers are going to grow by 20 per cent, and not only that but we’re also finding dementia is really playing its role – particularly for those aged over 85,” he said.
“As people are living longer due to good practices, somewhere around 1/3 of people are starting to suffer from dementia as the population grows older.
“You can only go so far with home care packages and high-level care becomes even more necessary as the population grows older.”
Mr O’Connor said members of the community had already reported concerns they were struggling to find aged care options available in the district.
“With the growing population and growing aged-population, the demands will increase so anecdotally we’re finding people are already finding it hard to secure aged care places,” he said.
“Cobden is full, Mortlake is full and Warrnambool is filling.”
Mr O’Connor said even if options were available throughout the south west, people deserved to be cared for in their own community.
“We know there is a growing need for care in the region and no more beds, but our elderly are entitled to age in their own community,” he said.
“That means their partners and family can visit them much more easily, especially if their partners themselves are starting to have disability issues or may no longer have a licence.
“Not being in your own town becomes a real issue – from taxis, to having to rely on others, and even only being able to see their loved one every couple of weeks.
“These are huge issues which are very much on the minds of the aging population in Terang.”