How local moves contribute to national action

People power at all levels making a difference.

“It’s critically important that local providers find the time to approach their Federal Members. Unless we sing with one voice, unless we all raise the same issues which we are all experiencing, then the Federal Government will not be aware of the impact that inadequate funding is having on our communities.”

Wise words of experience from Darren Midgley, CEO of Chaffey Aged Care in Merbein, Victoria.

Last February, he gathered with a group of local aged care providers in the Sunraysia region, who have had their budgets increasingly squeezed over many years.

“Like most other providers across the nation, particularly in regional areas, we are already as lean as we can be,” says Mr Midgley.

“There is no cream, no fat to trim. We realised we all had the same issues around the inadequacy of Federal Government funding.”

They detailed the critical issues and what the impact would be if they were no longer able to provide services.

“For many of the providers and certainly for Chaffey, we are the largest employer in our town, so it’s not just an impact on care recipients, it’s an impact on communities,” Mr Midgley says.

They carefully framed their approach and sought a meeting with local MP Dr Anne Webster, Federal Member for Mallee. They asked her to come to an aged care facility, rather than just meeting in her office.

“Aged care is vital for our regional communities,” says Dr Webster. “We’ve got very small towns that still have a few beds in aged care facilities and people who have lived in that community all of their lives can transition to that care, which is really important.”

After meeting residents, Ms Webster joined a roundtable of local aged care providers, accepted their submission and committed to take their concerns to Canberra.

“Anne was very impressed with what all of us are doing as aged care providers in our communities,” says Mr Midgley.

“She was fantastic, she really listened, she understood and she said she would raise these issues with Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck.”

Chaffey Aged Care CEO Darren Midgley, aged care resident Kaye Turvey and Member for Mallee Dr Anne Webster.

That meeting took place on 2 March, when the Minister advised her that a funding review was underway.

“We had a pretty robust discussion, then COVID-19 happened so the pressure became even more extraordinary,” says Ms Webster.

In late April, when the Minister and the Prime Minister announced $205 million in specific additional residential care funding—including a special bonus for regional care—the Sunraysia group and their local MP were elated.

“It was so pleasing to see some recognition of the financial difficulties we face, particularly as rural providers of care,” says Mr Midgley. Ms Webster said, “I was thrilled, particularly with the $1,350 per bed in rural and regional aged care. That is incredibly important.” Both the Member for Mallee and her constituent aged care providers say much more needs to happen.

“Of course, once we are past COVID-19, what we want to see is a funding system that will work in a more equitable manner for regional and rural areas, acknowledging the thin markets, the distance and the isolation, and the difficulties in getting trained staff,” Ms Webster says.

“There is much more work to be done yet but I am certainly hoping I can be part of the solution.”

Darren Midgley advises local providers across the nation to approach their local Federal MPs and if they need help building a submission, to ask Leading Age Services Australia for help. ■ Nick Way is Senior Media & Communications Advisor, Leading Age Services Australia.

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