'We're stretched to the limit': Aged care facilities face problems as population ages
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For many Australians, the idea of growing old in the place one has always called home is a comforting prospect.
As the population ages and the demand for care rises, a critical shortage of aged care facilities left many families worried about the future.
This problem has forced several families to make heartbreaking decisions.
Towns like Moranbah and Clermont have been facing a crisis quietly unfolding behind the scenes.
Communities in these towns were built in the 1960s and 1970s to house workers behind Australia's mining boom.
However, those same workers have reached their retirement age, yet the support systems they need do not exist there.
Anne Ahern has been managing Hinterland Community Care, a facility about 80 km from Moranbah.
Hinterland Community Care supports frail and aged people, as well as those with disabilities.
Yet, with a service area covering up to 60,000 square kilometres, it has been a challenge for her.
For the first time in its history, her facility had to introduce a waiting list.
'We got to the point where we're stretched to the limit,' she stated. 'We can't take on any more aged care clients.'
Distance from essential health and aged care services has been a reality for central Queenslanders.
For those who need specialist medical appointments, the nearest major centre is often at Mackay.
'We're funded just $55 for a one-way, 195 km journey from Moranbah to Mackay,' Ms Ahern shared.
'That's to cover staff costs and all the vehicle costs. It's not feasible.'
This lack of support also meant that senior residents had to rely on family, friends, or volunteers to get to essential appointments or go without the care they needed.
Lynnie Busk, who moved to Moranbah in the early 1970s, has watched the town grow and change.
After decades in company housing, she and her husband Noel built their own home there and planned to retire in the community they love.
However, the lack of aged care options has been a harrowing ordeal for their family.
'There are a lot of people who would stay here if they knew their parents were close by,' Lynnie shared.
For her parents, who needed more care, staying in Moranbah is not possible.
Their situation is not limited to Moranbah—it has echoed across mining and rural towns in the country.
The average age in the Isaac region is just 34, and the number of senior residents continues to grow.
Clermont, an hour southwest of Moranbah, has a high-care residential facility with 22 beds.
However, local grazier John Burnett led a campaign to reopen the Monash Lodge, a low-care centre unused since 2018.
'We have high-care at the hospital, but we need supported living care and independent living units to go with it,' Mr Burnett said.
Local non-profit Belyando Enterprises projected that the community would need more than 180 aged care places by mid-2030.
Nationally, the demand for permanent residential aged care could climb to about 300,000 places by 2035.
For many senior residents, the lack of options meant leaving their homes.
'Some of our clients have lived here for 40 or 50 years,' Ms Ahern shared.
'This is their home. Why should they have to move away?'
It's a situation that's all too common in regional Australia, where government policy and funding decisions often lag behind the community's needs.
Residents and advocates have since then been calling for urgent investment in both residential aged care and at-home support services in coalfield communities.
Have you or your family been affected by the lack of aged care facilities in regional towns? What changes could make the biggest difference for their communities? Share your experiences and thoughts about this issue in the comments below.
As the population ages and the demand for care rises, a critical shortage of aged care facilities left many families worried about the future.
This problem has forced several families to make heartbreaking decisions.
Towns like Moranbah and Clermont have been facing a crisis quietly unfolding behind the scenes.
Communities in these towns were built in the 1960s and 1970s to house workers behind Australia's mining boom.
However, those same workers have reached their retirement age, yet the support systems they need do not exist there.
Anne Ahern has been managing Hinterland Community Care, a facility about 80 km from Moranbah.
Senior citizens in remote towns struggle to find facilities that cater to their concerns. Image Credit: Pexels/Ron Lach
Hinterland Community Care supports frail and aged people, as well as those with disabilities.
Yet, with a service area covering up to 60,000 square kilometres, it has been a challenge for her.
For the first time in its history, her facility had to introduce a waiting list.
'We got to the point where we're stretched to the limit,' she stated. 'We can't take on any more aged care clients.'
Distance from essential health and aged care services has been a reality for central Queenslanders.
For those who need specialist medical appointments, the nearest major centre is often at Mackay.
'We're funded just $55 for a one-way, 195 km journey from Moranbah to Mackay,' Ms Ahern shared.
'That's to cover staff costs and all the vehicle costs. It's not feasible.'
This lack of support also meant that senior residents had to rely on family, friends, or volunteers to get to essential appointments or go without the care they needed.
Lynnie Busk, who moved to Moranbah in the early 1970s, has watched the town grow and change.
After decades in company housing, she and her husband Noel built their own home there and planned to retire in the community they love.
However, the lack of aged care options has been a harrowing ordeal for their family.
'There are a lot of people who would stay here if they knew their parents were close by,' Lynnie shared.
For her parents, who needed more care, staying in Moranbah is not possible.
Their situation is not limited to Moranbah—it has echoed across mining and rural towns in the country.
The average age in the Isaac region is just 34, and the number of senior residents continues to grow.
Clermont, an hour southwest of Moranbah, has a high-care residential facility with 22 beds.
However, local grazier John Burnett led a campaign to reopen the Monash Lodge, a low-care centre unused since 2018.
'We have high-care at the hospital, but we need supported living care and independent living units to go with it,' Mr Burnett said.
Local non-profit Belyando Enterprises projected that the community would need more than 180 aged care places by mid-2030.
Nationally, the demand for permanent residential aged care could climb to about 300,000 places by 2035.
For many senior residents, the lack of options meant leaving their homes.
'Some of our clients have lived here for 40 or 50 years,' Ms Ahern shared.
'This is their home. Why should they have to move away?'
It's a situation that's all too common in regional Australia, where government policy and funding decisions often lag behind the community's needs.
Residents and advocates have since then been calling for urgent investment in both residential aged care and at-home support services in coalfield communities.
