“People are going to die”: Over 1000 uncared for after council aged care services end
<p dir="ltr">More than 1000 elderly residents on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula have been left without care after the local council stopped providing care services and made more than 110 staff redundant.</p>
<p dir="ltr">In July, private aged care service providers took over the care of more than 3500 residents who had previously been cared for by the council, with 2063 people transferred to Mecwacare and 1554 to Bolton Clarke, per <em><a href="https://www.watoday.com.au/national/victoria/nobody-s-checked-i-m-alive-more-than-1000-stranded-as-council-retreats-from-aged-care-20220808-p5b81l.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WA Today</a></em>.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Aimee Bonfield, a spokeswoman for Bolton Clarke, said “essential services” were being provided for 300 residents, with services starting or scheduled for another 200.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“All remaining clients have been contacted and we remain in touch on a regular basis to update on progress and to address any immediate needs,” she said. </p>
<p dir="ltr">“Bolton Clarke has a strong track record of understanding local needs and supporting wellbeing and independence for older people on the Mornington Peninsula.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">But, at least 1000 residents have been left without care, including Barbara Rimington, who has a fused back from spinal surgery and has undergone surgery for lung cancer and was receiving assistance with cleaning from the council.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Since Bolton Clarke took over on July 1, the 77-year-old said she hasn’t received any care and is “one of the luckier ones” because she is still relatively independent.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“The council said they are monitoring,” she said. “Pig’s arse they are. Nobody has contacted me to see if I am still alive.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">Rimington said she was worried for others who needed help with shopping, since there are limited delivery options available on the peninsula.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“Are any of these people eating?” she said. “People are going to die. Some people are totally isolated. It’s an indictment on the whole of society.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">89-year-old Michael Nolan said he and his wife, 85, were left in the lurch by Mecawacare and haven’t received care for more than a month.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The council used to provide assistance to Nolan once a fortnight, helping with cleaning and tasks around the home, such as checking smoke alarms, changing light bulbs, and changing bed sheets.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“[Mecwacare] has been on the job since July 1 and nothing is happening,” he said. </p>
<p dir="ltr">“We have to try and do the cleaning ourselves and we tackle it a little bit at a time, but it takes us days and days to do because I can’t bend down, otherwise I fall over.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“Mecwacare has had months and months to prepare for this. </p>
<p dir="ltr">“It is typical of the former federal government, they want to give everything over to private enterprise.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">Anthony Marsh, the mayor of Mornington Peninsula, said the council decided to “transition” away from using its own staff to prepare for the federal government’s open-market system, and that the council had no say in the providers that would replace them.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“The peninsula had no provider other than council delivering these services and we needed to ensure our residents had choice and the advantage of a competitive market environment,” he said. </p>
<p dir="ltr">“We did not get a say in the appointment of new providers; that was done by the federal government.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">Marsh said the council was assured by both providers and the government that essential services would continue from July 1, and that an offer to keep some staff on “to help with the transition” was turned down.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“The welfare of our older residents is a major priority for council, and we will continue to advocate to the federal government to make sure older people receive the support they need to remain independent and involved in the community,” he said.</p>
<p dir="ltr">A government spokesman said the government was “continually reviewing” the transition and selection process for councils that chose to exit the Commonwealth home support program and was aware of the situation on Mornington Peninsula.</p>
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<p dir="ltr">“The department is aware of the transition of clients from Mornington Peninsula Shire council to Mecwacare and Bolton Clarke and is actively working with My Aged Care and the providers on outstanding transition issues,” he said.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>
