In the Northern Territory, at least one hundred seniors are in hospital beds awaiting access to home care support or a spot in residential care. Peak bodies are urging the Federal Government to release more support packages and deliver on a promise to build a new residential care home in Palmerston. And a warning, this story contains discussion of topics some viewers might find distressing.
00:00Michael and Leewa met on a dance floor several years ago and have now made Darwin their home.
00:10Dancing is the essence of life and vitality and Darwin lends itself to that as well.
00:15The nightlife, the temperature is great.
00:18I like Darwin. Darwin's warm season.
00:25Now in his 70s, the state of the Territory's aged care system is something Michael's starting to think about.
00:32It will be a discerning factor whether I stay in Northern Territory.
00:36If there's too much of a longer waiting period and I see my quality of life going down, further down, I do not have to go interstate.
00:45Right now it's estimated more than 100 senior Territorians are in a hospital bed instead of at home with support or in residential care.
00:54Aged care reforms which include more than 80,000 new home support packages have been delayed until November.
01:02And at least if we could release 20,000 to 25,000 packages now that would do a great amount of good in supporting people because we do not want people to pass away waiting for a package.
01:14And with a 10 year wait list again for public housing, there's a huge need for low cost, affordable housing for seniors.
01:24These were hot topics at a seniors expo in Darwin. But for some, proximity to their children is everything.
01:32We were planning to retire here because our daughter had moved up, right? But now she's leaving.
01:40For others, there's no place like home and a move elsewhere, even to be with children, is inconceivable.
01:47But no way. I come up here for the heat and they left here. That's their problem, not mine.
01:54For Maxine, an aged care home is also off the cards.
01:58If I can't look after myself, I'm not having anyone else do it. I'm going down to Buffalo Creek with a bottle of gin.
02:04In the Territory's remote communities, there's a push for alternative models of care that support local workers.
02:11The ABC understands the federal government's tender process for a new 120 bed residential care home in Palmerston.
02:19A promise made before the election will begin in September.
02:24In the meantime...
02:25Keep healthy and happy and keep dancing.
02:28Community connection, the secret ingredient for these independent seniors.
