The global life expectancy is 73 years old and Australia, a developed country has a life expectancy of 83 years old. While this is a positive outcome that has evolved over the past decades, it also means that there is a higher number of elderly people in Australia who are not receiving adequate aged care or healthcare due to living in regional or remote areas. Recent studies have shown that older people living in rural communities still don’t have access to basic services. This is concerning.

Geriatric doctor based in Wagga Wagga NSW, Dr Watson, says that many older Australians feel forced to move from their hometowns to more cosmopolitan areas.

“There simply aren’t enough aged care facilities with enough space to accommodate Australia’s aging population. I have been seeing patients for years and some of them are having to leave Wagga Wagga and move in with their children or into aged care facilities in Sydney. It’s sad” he says. “Having access to basic healthcare is essential for everyone, regardless of their age. Many of my patients have challenges with travelling the distance to come and see me. It also doesn’t help that Australians living in rural areas actually experience higher rates of multiple chronic diseases compared to those living in urban areas”.

Petra, based in Mudgee, NSW says finding adequate care for her elderly parents has been a stressful experience.

“My parents have been living in Mudgee for decades. I grew up here and love this town. However, the aged care facilities are limited, as is the healthcare system. Mum and Dad are in their late eighties and after Mum had a bad fall, I moved my parents into my house but I realised that they actually needed more care than I could provide them with. I am looking at other options in bigger towns so they can either live in an aged care facility or be closer to a major hospital. It’s sad that they will have to leave Mudgee, but what can we do?” Petra wonders.

Professor Irene Blackberry from the John Richards Centre for Rural Ageing and Aged Care Research told the ABC this year that it isn’t easy for older people to move locations to access adequate aged care facilities.

“It is difficult for a lot of older people to move to a new environment and having to readjust the way they live… Particularly when people’s care needs are quite complex, having to relearn a lot of these skills and at the same time managing and juggling a lot of these physical and cognitive declines can be quite challenging” said Professor Blackberry.

Dr Watson believes that more flexible arrangements need to be made in rural and remote areas so that older people can live independently, with adequate care for as long as possible.

“I know that plans are underway to make sure this becomes a reality for older people living in rural areas, so that’s the good news. But I think we need to have more of a community spirit. It is so easy for people to check in regularly on elderly neighbours or volunteer to drive them to medical appointments” said Dr Watson.

The Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) believe that the lack of access older Australians have to healthcare in rural areas has been an ongoing issue that isn’t getting better. They are concerned about the waiting times and the fact that many patients are referred to a phone consultation. They stated in a report:

‘In some cases, the older person may experience rapid decline without timely access to assessment and appropriate aged care supports that being put in place’.

“When my mum had her fall, it was at night and my dad was in bed asleep. My mum lay on the floor of the kitchen for two hours until my dad happened to get up for a glass of water. I was mortified when I found this out. This wouldn’t have happened if there was an appropriate aged care facility for them to live in, in their area that had room. Something has to change” urges Petra.