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🇦🇺 Australia /Culture & Society

Family shocked by aged care system's complexity demands overhaul

From ABC Australia · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • A family faced a crisis after the husband and primary carer for his wife, who has dementia, died unexpectedly.
  • The three daughters stepped in to provide 24/7 care, experiencing the immense difficulty and pressure of being a carer.
  • They struggled for five months to navigate the complex aged care system to find suitable residential care for their mother, eventually succeeding with a private broker.

The complexity of Australia's aged care system has been highlighted after a family was plunged into crisis following the unexpected death of a husband who was the primary carer for his wife with dementia. Valma Cupitt, 86, has been living with a dementia diagnosis since 2019, and her husband Darryl had been her devoted caregiver.

It was a crash course for everybody to learn about the aged [care] system [and] to even learn how far Val's condition had progressed.

— Bernard ShevilleVal's son-in-law, describing the family's sudden immersion into the aged care system after Val's husband's death.

When Darryl died suddenly in September last year, Val's daughters – Michelle, Lenore, and Cheryl – had to quickly learn about the aged care system and the extent of their mother's condition. They stepped in to provide round-the-clock care, a role they found "very taxing and a lot of pressure." The sisters took turns staying with their mother, realizing "how hard it was for a carer" after just four-and-a-half months, which "wore us all out."

We didn't realise how much he was taking on, actually.

— Michelle ShevilleVal's daughter, reflecting on her father's extensive caregiving role before his death.

Beyond providing immediate care, the sisters embarked on a difficult search for short-term respite and permanent high-level care. They described the process as a "struggle," involving dozens of detailed applications. Michelle's husband, Bernard Sheville, even became her "application secretary" due to the sheer volume of work. It took five arduous months before they secured a room in residential aged care for Val, and this was only achieved with the assistance of a private aged care broker.

It was very taxing and a lot of pressure.

— Michelle ShevilleDescribing the demands of providing 24/7 care for her mother.

While relieved and grateful to have found a place for their mother, the family is calling for significant changes to the system. Bernard expressed frustration, suggesting the system seems designed with the assumption that clients are in desperate need and providers can make the process difficult. The daughters advocate for more accessible, face-to-face navigation support services to give older Australians and their carers greater choice and control. Peak bodies, like the Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN), agree that urgent reform is needed.

We had no idea how hard it was for a carer.

— Cheryl HolbertonVal's eldest daughter, expressing the difficulty of the caregiving role.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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