by Jeremy Halcrow

Joy Watt, Director of Nursing at Anglicare’s Chesalon nursing home in Jannali, sat by Flo Hinte’s bed in the fading hours of July 29, reading to her from the Bible. With her life ebbing away, Flo quietly listened to Joy’s voice until her own daughters, Joan Lonsdale and Annette Gladman, could get there. And then Flo closed her eyes for the last time.

Joan Lonsdale says she was overwhelmed by Joy’s selflessness towards her mum, adding that it was indicative of the depth of care shown her whole family by the Chesalon team.
Mrs Lonsdale had been nursing her mum – who had cancer – full time in her Caringbah home because no hospital would take her. But as the cancer progressed it became too much and in May, Mrs Lonsdale turned in desperation to Anglicare.

“It has really helped the grieving process to know that Chesalon had given mum a quality of life that we could not have given her at home,” said Mrs Lonsdale. “It is really a second family. The staff loved mum as much as we loved her.”

But it is becoming increasingly difficult for people like Flo Hinte to get the kind of Christian care that Chesalon provides.

With 2.5 million Australians aged over 65, the aged care system is breaking under the pressure of a fast-greying population. Elderly people who are immobile can wait for up to 12 months for a place in a high-care nursing home.

The recent decision by the Salvation Army to sell 15 of its 19 nursing homes in Victoria is a sure sign that the aged care crisis will intensify. Many Christian providers are likely to be forced out of the sector. The Aged and Community Service Association (ACSA) reports that an unprecedented number of church-run not-for-profit facilities are on the brink of closing. ACSA’s recent survey of NSW nursing homes estimates nearly 60 per cent are operating in deficit.

Anglicare believes the crux of the problem is that the Federal Government has imposed an unworkable funding regime on high-care nursing homes, while at the same time demanding they upgrade facilities. The charity has invested $20 million upgrading its nursing homes over the past five years. Yet three Anglicare homes – including Chesalon Jannali –  will not meet new Federal Government building requirements to be introduced in 2008. The new requirements – that nursing homes include mostly single-bed rooms, more showers and small lounge rooms instead of larger communal areas – mean that nursing homes must get bigger – difficult on confined city blocks.  Anglicare will spend $11 million upgrading the Jannali home.

Joan Lonsdale is distraught that the Government would allow the closing of homes like Chesalon Jannali and questions the priorities in their new requirements. “It’s ridiculous that residents will be forced into single rooms. My mum would have been very lonely in a room by herself all the time. She loved the social aspect and got a lot of stimulation out of watching all the coming and going,” she said.

Mrs Lonsdale adds that the older style design of the Jannali building with its long verandah actually enhances the homely and friendly feel of the nursing home. “The fact that the building will not meet the 2008 accreditation standard is no reflection on the amazing level of care provided by the staff,” she said.

Carol Allen, General Manager of Anglicare Aged Services, says the Federal Government has left nursing homes floundering because they will not permit any mechanism that would allow nursing homes to raise funds for building upgrades.

“Either we need direct Government grants for the refurbishment of existing nursing homes, or we need to be allowed to charge accommodation bonds to generate the investment returns to fund improvements,” Ms Allen said.

The government allows hostels and other low-care facilities to charge accommodation bonds – even to look after high-care patients – but denies this option to nursing homes like Chesalon.

Anglicare says nursing homes have also been short-changed by inadequate indexation of government subsidies. Over the past year, government funding of nursing homes rose 1.7 per cent, while nurses’ wages rose by 6 per cent. On top of this wage increase, there have also been massive insurance rises.

Mrs Lonsdale said she ‘couldn’t bear thinking about’ her options if Chesalon Jannali hadn’t been there.

“I had injured my ribs and back trying to lift mum, so we just couldn’t care for her at home any longer. The hospital could not take her and I just wouldn’t have slept at night if she had been in a private nursing home run for profit. I would have been anxious that people wouldn’t have treated her with love and dignity.”

“The Christian ethos of Chesalon is so important. We felt free to pray and read the Bible with mum and the staff encouraged us and did not see it as a problem.”

“Mum really grew in her faith during the time she was at Chesalon. On one Saturday, she was not able to get out of bed to go to Bible Study and the staff came and read the Bible with her.”

Anglicare is seeking to tackle the aged care crisis by extending the level of care to families like the Lonsdales. Integrating high care and community care is a key part of the new vision for Anglicare’s 26 year-old Jannali nursing home.

“Our vision for Jannali sees the number of beds expanded from 50 to 100, and also incorporates a day centre to boost our community care services to the Sutherland Shire,” said Ms Allen.

Joan Lonsdale said the staff at Chesalon Jannali had cared deeply for the whole family not just her mum, Flo. She welcomed Anglicare’s vision to deepen the level of care provided to families supporting frail aged relatives in their own homes.

“Even in her last year, my mum had so much to give.”

Flo was aged 88 and until this year had been an active leader in the Seniors Ministry at St Philip’s, Caringbah. She was also a prolific sewer of toys and blankets for Anglicare. “Even when she went into Chesalon we still had bags of them to give away,” Mrs Lonsdale said.