Caring for ageing carers

A new aged care facility that will allow adult children with disabilities to live with their elderly parents opened in Melbourne last week.

The Eunice Seddon Home is believed to be an Australian first, with the federal government claiming the demand for services which cater for ageing carers will become greater as the population ages.

Social justice organisation, Wintringham, first began looking for a site for a new aged care home in Dandenong in Melbourne’s outer south-east.

Wintringham chief executive, Bryan Lipmann, says the new service is primarily for elderly impoverished people, and it is not a service designed to “solve the problem” – but “we are going to try to do it at the same time”, he claims.

“The child can come and see dad or mum and vice-versa, staff could interact and move in-between each other and the whole principle would be that the great stress elderly people have when they realise  their disabled child can no longer live on their own and yet they are too frail themselves to look after them, goes,” Mr Lippman tells ABC News.

He says when an elderly parent and their adult disabled child are separated, and in some cases are miles apart from each other in different facilities, it can cause stress and emotional turmoil.

According to Mr Lippman, judging by the reaction of some people, it is “clearly something that should have been done long ago and it is exciting to be part of it”.

Villa Maria, a not-for-profit organisation providing services and life-enhancing opportunities for older people, children and adults with disabilities, is also paving the way to servicing ageing carers with the creation of a support group to help connect seniors who face the challenges of caring for their adult children with disabilities.

The Mature Choices Carers Group meets monthly to socialise and participate in education and well-being activities such as aromatherapy, reflexology and creative classes.

Villa Maria Mature Choices coordinator, Beth Magann, says “taking carers’ minds off their role is vital to their well-being”.

“Being ageing carers, the main topics of conversation are around ‘what is going to happen to my son and daughter when I am not longer able to care for them?’. As much as case managers can do their best in their role preparing the carers, sometimes the best support is them knowing they’re not alone,” Ms Magann says.

Minister for Mental Health and Ageing, Mark Butler, who was also at the official opening of the Eunice Seddon Home, says people want to see aged care facilities develop as care needs increase.

An elderly parent is already reportedly living at the home and waiting for approval from the Victorian Department of Human Services for their child to move in next door.

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