The Age, 11 May 2005
Insight into a new age Sarah Wotherspoon

Volunteering at an aged care home gave Trevor Nixon a unique insight into what the industry needed.

The Rowville grandfather and his wife Dora, both 75, are far from ready to check into an aged care home yet, but they know what they want if they get to that stage.

More funding for in-home community aged care and a better approach to palliative care and nursing of dementia patients were top of Mr Nixon's wish list.

He said last night he was delighted to see the Government had allocated extra money and made dementia a national priority.

Mr Nixon said extra funding to assist with residential care was also a good move.

"Lately there has been a tendency to do more care in the home as distinct from care in a facility," Mr Nixon said.

It seems to me something that needs expanding to cater for more people."

He said more funding for in home care would give families and patientrs more options on how they were cared for.

He said a funding increase for palliative and dementia care was necessary as both fields were under resourced.

Mr Nixon said greater funding for aged care facilities with low and high-level care and independent living units was required to ensure all those in need of care had access to it.

"The problem with the independent living units is that people need to pay a bond when they move in," he said.

"It is not helping those socially disadvantaged people who cannot pay the bond."

Mr Nixon said the Government needed to address now the issue of Australia's ageing population in order to make it less of a burden in the future.

"I think the ageing population is a problem that can be dealt with easily," Mr Nixon said, "provided the Government tackles it early enough rather than wait for another 10 years."

Mr Nixon expressed disappointment that there did not appear to be any increase in community aid packages in areas of aged care.