NDIS – Michmutters

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James’s partner, Venita, suffered a stroke. Two months on, she can’t leave hospital because they can’t find a place to live

James Paul inside a shed turned into a living area.

A 39-year-old stroke victim is unable to leave hospital because she and her partner have been living in an industrial shed in southern Tasmania.

Venita Brown has been told she may end up in an aged care facility or a women’s shelter if she and her partner, James Paul, cannot find a suitable place to live.

“She’s constantly depressed,” Mr Paul said. “She pretty much thinks she is stuck in hospital because she’s got nowhere to go. They’re saying I am not allowed to bring her back here.

“It’s actually put her mental health at risk, very badly.”

Ms Brown suffered a stroke about two months ago. A month prior to that, she and 42-year-old Mr Paul moved into the shed.

Venita Brown and partner James Paul.
Ms Brown and Mr Paul struggled to find somewhere to live.(Supplied)

They could not find a rental they could afford on a combined disability pension and carers allowance of around $1,300 a fortnight.

“Most two bedrooms are $300 to $400 a week and you’ve got to be able to feed yourself and pay the power bill and everything else,” he said.

The couple moved into the shed as a temporary measure. They have put together a makeshift kitchen and there is an outdoor toilet and shower.

“I had no options, so what do you do?” said Mr Paul.

A man looks at the camera.
Mr Paul said they would move anywhere to secure a place to live.(ABC News: Luke Bowden)

But the shed has no windows, the roof leaks and, with very high ceilings, it is hard to heat. The entrance is a small door that cannot be accessed without crouching down.

“They can’t stay here,” said Alex Carter, the partner of Ms Brown’s daughter, Kaitlyn.

He said the shed was a stop-gap and was never meant to be lived in permanently.

James Paul and Alex Carter inside a glorious shed.
Mr Carter said government safety nets were failing.(ABC News: Luke Bowden)

“There’s no bales right next to the bed. There is stacked-up wood everywhere,” he said.

“Item [is]some would say, a health hazard, but more through summer they’ll be at risk of if we have a fire, there’s [only] one way in [and] one way out.

“If you want to go to the toilet, or you want to have a shower, you pretty much risk getting hypothermia.”

Shower arrangement at a shed.
The shower arrangement inside the shed.(ABC News: Luke Bowden)

Mr Paul said Ms Brown had been on the waiting list for public housing for two years before suffering a stroke.

The couple said they would move anywhere in the state in order to secure a suitable home.

“They don’t care where, they just need a house,” Mr Carter said.

Alex Carter sitting in front of a caravan.
Mr Carter said the RHH was “jam-packed”.(ABC News: Luke Bowden)

Mr Carter believes government safety nets are failing.

“There’s hundreds of other people that are in the same situation and it’s just ongoing and it’s getting worse,” he said.

The situation is becoming increasingly desperate, with Ms Brown due to be discharged from the Royal Hobart Hospital (RHH) in a matter of weeks.

“Hobart Royal is already jam-packed, they’re already screaming, saying, ‘We don’t have room’ … yet, what are we doing?” Mr Carter said.

“Keeping people in beds because they’ve got nowhere else to go … is that the reason why the hospital is so full and services are being stretched to the limit?

“The housing crisis has gotten to a point where people are actually homeless… the hospitals aren’t able to release them due to a duty of care.”

Dr Saul sits next to his desk, looking seriously at the camera.
Dr John Saul from the AMA said the situation was “incredibly frustrating” from a doctor’s point of view.(ABC News: Luke Bowden)

Doctors said the housing crisis was contributing to a shortage of hospital beds across the country.

“We have to practice good patient care and we cannot release someone from hospital unless they go to a safe environment,” the Australian Medical Association’s John Saul said

Dr Saul said a shortage of aged care placements and securing NDIS support for patients was making it increasingly harder to discharge patients.

“It’s contributing to back pressure down into the hospitals and, ultimately, that goes to the ED departments, that then goes to the ambulances,” he said.

“It’s a domino effect that’s traveling all through our systems. How does this feel from a doctor’s point of view? Incredibly frustrating.

“Some of these things are absolutely soul-destroying for our hard-working staff. We’re seeing it in homelessness with mental health issues as well.

“If a mental health patient, for example, goes back on the streets, it is unsafe, they will only present back to ED earlier if they haven’t got safe and appropriate housing.”

Jeremy Rockliff looking down while speaking at a lecture.
Mr Rockliff said the federal government could fund sub-acute beds in private hospitals.(ABC News: Jordan Young)

The Tasmanian government is calling on the federal government to fund transitional beds for long-term NDIS and aged care patients.

Premier Jeremy Rockliff said the number of patients unable to leave hospital because they were waiting for aged care accommodation or an NDIS package equaled to two wards at the Royal Hobart Hospital.

“These numbers have a large impact for a small state that is doing its best to manage significant COVID workloads,” Mr Rockliff said.

He said the Commonwealth could fund sub-acute beds in private hospitals “while we work together to look at longer-term solutions around accommodation to speed up the safe transfer of the medically-ready to aged care and NDIS supported living arrangements”.

Kathrine Morgan Wicks
Kathrine Morgan-Wicks said as of August 6, there were 46 patients ready for discharge who could not leave.(ABCNews)

In a statement, Department of Health Secretary Kathrine Morgan-Wicks said that, as of August 6, there were 29 aged care patients and 17 disability care patients medically ready for discharge from their acute bed but unable to leave due to waiting for aged care accommodation or an NDIS package.

There are around 4,400 people on the waitlist for public housing in Tasmania.

Tasmanian Housing Minister Guy Barnett said a tight housing market was impacting the most vulnerable.

“Communities Tasmania regularly works with the Department of Health in situations where people are leaving medical care to find the most-appropriate accommodation options to best suit people with a range of unique requirements,” he said.

“For example, our rapid rehousing program is specifically designed as transitional accommodation for eligible people to support them into long-term housing.”

Accommodation inside a shed.
The shed leaks and is hard to heat.(ABC News: Luke Bowden)

The Tasmanian government is working on a plan to lift housing stock by 10,000 new homes over the next decade.

“One thousand, five hundred new homes [are] to be delivered this financial year alone,” Mr Barnett said.

After the ABC visited Mr Paul at the shed, wild weather and nearby flooding forced him to shelter at a family member’s home.

It is not clear when he will be able to return.

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Australia

NDIS taskforce to hunt down organized crime groups ‘robbing’ billions from disability clients

NDIS taskforce to hunt down organized crime groups 'robbing' billions from disability clients

A police taskforce to hunt down organized crime groups exploiting the National Disability Insurance Scheme will be established by the government in coming weeks, the NDIS Minister says.

An investigation by Nine newspapers has alleged members of the Hamzy and Alameddine crime groups in Sydney and other organized criminal gangs have been rorting billions of dollars from the NDIS scheme.

The head of the Criminal Intelligence Commission, Michael Phelan, told Nine newspapers that criminals were systemically “ripping off our most vulnerable people.”

Mr Phelan said there was evidence of criminals creating fake clients, skimming money, exploiting and intimidating clients and using pharmacy employees as “spotters” to find new NDIS clients to target.

The head of a dark-haired police officer wearing rimless glasses and standing in front of a Crime Stoppers poster
Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission boss Michael Phelan says organized crime groups have infiltrated the NDIS.(AAP: Mick Tsikas)

NDIS Minister Bill Shorten gave a scathing assessment, as he announced a multi-agency taskforce would be established to track down fraudsters.

“I think they’re literally gutless cowards,” Mr Shorten told Nine this morning.

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Australia

Fixing weekend discharge key to improving capacity at South Australia’s hospitals

A white hospital building with blue and green windows, with green trees in front of it

A senior doctor at Adelaide’s biggest hospital says the health system is under “siege” and pinpoints Mondays as the busiest day.

SA’s struggling health system was again in focus this week due to the death of a 47-year-old man while he waited for an ambulance in suburban Adelaide on Monday.

Problems around ramped ambulances, overcrowded emergency departments and full inpatient hospital beds, trouble doctors and nurses on any day of the week.

But each Monday a perfect storm of complications aligns, cranking up pressure on health staff and patients.

So, what makes Monday the busiest day in SA’s hospitals, and what can be done about it?

Headshot of Dr Peter Subramaniam at an Adelaide hospital
Dr Peter Subramaniam says having fewer doctors working and community services unavailable on weekends leads to lower discharge rates.(ABC News: Ethan Rix)

A weekend hangover

As medical lead of the surgery program at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and chair of the Australian Medical Association Council, Peter Subramaniam knows South Australia’s health system well.

He says it is under “siege”.

“The system is under pressure and there is a significant demand and our capacity to meet that demand is not working,” Dr Subramaniam said.

The qualified vascular surgeon pinpointed Mondays as the busiest days for hospitals.

“You can see from the data we have that ours are lower on the weekend compared to weekdays,” he discharge said.

“So that contributes to the log jam that occurs on a Monday.”

A masked nurse adjusts their blue plastic glove in an operation room.
Experts say more resources are needed every day of the week, including weekends.(Rawpixel: Chanikarn Thongsupa)

Dr Subramaniam said fewer doctors working to patients over the weekend had an impact discharge.

“Most acute care hospitals operate on reduced staffing,” he said.

But that’s not the only thing bringing down discharge numbers.

“We rely heavily on community services to be available and accessible over weekends and often that’s difficult to organize,” Dr Subramaniam said.

“You might need a rehab bed or a step-down bed or a community nursing service to be able to manage the patient once they’re discharged.

“Once we’ve discharged the patients, they need to go somewhere.”

Elizabeth Dabars stands outside a hospital in Adelaide
Elizabeth Dabars says a criteria-led discharge policy was never fully implemented.(ABC News: Michael Clements)

monday blues

Chief executive of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Association’s SA branch Elizabeth Dabars said the “absence of senior clinicians” on the weekend was driving up ramping times.

Professor Dabars wants to see nurses, allied health professionals and junior doctors able to discharge more acute patients under something called criteria-led discharge (CLD).

“It’s a win for the people wanting to go home and it’s a win for the broader community who would have better access to hospital beds,” the qualified nurse said.

CLD has been hotly debated for decades and was a policy directive issued by SA Health in 2019.

A car drives past an emergency department building
The state’s emergency departments have been under extreme pressure.(ABCNews)

Professor Dabars said it was never fully implemented.

“That has not really seriously been put in place and that is a blocker to people being discharged,” she said.

“It doesn’t actually make sense for it not to be enabled.”

But the former president of the South Australian Salaried Medical Officers Association, Dr David Pope, said the number of patients that would fit the CLD criteria was small.

“Item [CLD] works quite well in some areas but I defy anyone to go around and find patients sitting around in the hospital for want of a doctor to come in on a Monday morning,” Dr Pope said.

“That just doesn’t happen.”

Headshot of Doctor David Pope
David Pope says elective surgery admissions make Mondays busier than other days.(ABC News: Ethan Rix)

He said a crowded start to the week was a side effect of elective surgery.

“That worse effect on a Monday is purely a function of when elective surgery patients arrive,” he said.

The doctor said the idea that senior clinicians were unwilling to provide care on weekends was damaging to an already stretched workforce.

“Doctors are in the hospitals 24/7, so if there’s a need for a doctor to be in the hospital they will be there if they exist,” he said.

What will change?

The state government said it was looking to make criteria-led discharge “a regular part of hospital operations.”

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A grieving family says South Australia’s health system is broken after man’s death while waiting for ambulance

An ambulance

The family of a South Australian man who died while waiting for an ambulance on Monday night says the state’s health system is ‘broken’.

The 47-year-old father of two, Andrew, died from cardiac arrest on Monday evening in a Plympton car park, where he had pulled over and called an ambulance after experiencing chest pain.

At the request of the family, the ABC has decided not to publish a picture of him or use his last name.

His family remembers Andrew as a “much-loved” partner, friend, family man and colleague.

Nathan Hutchison, the brother of Andrew’s partner, read a statement on his behalf.

“My partner Andrew was my soul mate and loving father to our children, my heart has been torn in two and I feel broken,” the statement said.

man standing in vest with checkered shirt and glasses
Nathan Hutchison says the health system needs to be fixed. (ABCNews )

“He’s going to be deeply missed, but will always be remembered and very much loved.

“We are devastated he’s been taken so soon.”

Mr Hutchison said that the system needed to be fixed.

“It’s just devastating for us,” he said.

“It’s very hard to put it in words, clearly there’s a system that’s broken and needs to be fixed.

A divided road with palm trees in the median strip, along with directional signs. Only one car is visible and its parked
The man suffering chest pain called triple-0 after pulling over on Anzac Highway at Plympton. (ABC NewsEvelyn Manfield )

“It’s tearing up my family. Fix the system.

“We do appreciate the work the first responders did when they arrived, and the community members did when they were there.”

Central Adelaide Local Health Network chief executive Lesley Dwyer described the “awful” incident as “an absolutely tragic outcome” and said a full investigation would take place.

TAFE SA chief executive David Coltman said Andrew had been a well-loved member of staff.

“[He] was a highly regarded manager at TAFE SA and we are deeply saddened by his sudden passing,” he said.

“TAFE SA is providing support to [his] colleagues during this difficult time and we extend our heartfelt condolences to [his] Familia.”

A woman with short brown hair wearing a beige scarf and a black top
Lesley Dwyer says discharging NDIS and aged care patients to free up hospital beds remains a priority.(ABCNews)

Acting Health Minister Tom Koutsantonis said the man’s death was “horrific” and said he would also want his elderly father to call him if he had a medical episode.

“I’ve got an elderly father and I say to him, ‘if something happens, call an ambulance and call me’,” he said.

“But that’s not the solution you’d expect in a first-world country.

“In a first-world country, we expect an ambulance to come on time when it’s [a] life-threatening situation.”

A man in a suit standing behind microphones with a road overpass behind him
Tom Koutsantonis urges the public to still call triple-0 in an emergency. (ABC News: Shari Hams)

Mr Koutsantonis said there had been a “whole-of-government” approach to address the health crisis, which included hiring more doctors and nurses, opening private beds, and moving aged care and NDIS patients out of hospital and into care.

“You gotta have faith. We still want people calling triple-0,” he said.

“In three months we’ve done a lot but in three months you can’t fix it.

“Right now there’s no-one in South Australia who’s thinking about this in political terms, they are thinking about in terms of ‘if I call an ambulance will it come in time to save my father, my mother, my child?'”

‘extreme pressure’

Ms Dwyer said the health system was “under extreme pressure on Monday afternoon with large numbers of triple-0 calls.”

“The hospitals themselves had come off a weekend where we’d been extremely busy,” she told ABC Radio Adelaide.

A white hospital building with blue and green windows, with green trees in front of it
Ambulance crews were ramped up at the Royal Adelaide Hospital for three hours on Monday, the union says.(ABC News: Che Chorley)

“And so you had two of the major metropolitan hospitals, being Flinders and the Royal Adelaide, that were really struggling to get people into the emergency department in a timely way to free up ambulances.”

SA Best MLC Frank Pangallo said he was unsure what a government inquiry would achieve “because we all know where it’s going wrong.”

“The system is broken and more people are likely to die unless something happens,” he said.

Mr Pangallo said Andrew’s death was a “tragedy, and most likely was an avoidable one”.

“We’re likely to see instances like this again,” he said.

“Waiting times have blown out to unacceptable levels.”

A man sitting behind a microphone points. There is a bottle of water next to him and a name tag
Frank Pangallo wrote to Health Minister Chris Picton last week about a different patient.(ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)

Mr Pangallo said he wrote to Health Minister Chris Picton last week about a different patient who had waited two hours for an ambulance after suffering a heart attack.

“There was another tragedy that was averted,” he said.

Mr Pangallo said his office had been told by a member of the public yesterday that a taxi had been dispatched when a triple-0 call was made.

“A family member had called for an ambulance and it wasn’t considered a high priority so a taxi was dispatched,” he said.

“I’ve heard of this happening previously as well.”

Plan alternative options, says union

SA Ambulance Employees Association secretary Leah Watkins said yesterday that South Australians should consider planning alternative options in the event of lengthy ambulance delays.

SA Ambulance Employees Association secretary Leah Watkins.
Leah Watkins says South Australians should prepare a plan for what to do in the event of a lengthy ambulance delay.(ABCNews)

“In the vast majority, people are calling triple-0 because they’re in a point of crisis and they have no other option and they should still do that if they do feel the need,” she said.

“But the ambulance service and the health system is completely overwhelmed at the moment and so if they are concerned that there is going to be a delay for them, to get help early.

“If you’re home alone, call a neighbor or a friend just to let them know what’s going on so that there’s perhaps someone that could come over and wait with you or someone that can drive you to hospital yourself.

Lesley Dwyer said while “there was nothing wrong” with Ms Watkins’ advice, “people should not be frightened of ringing” triple-0, and it should be the “first port of call” in an emergency.

“We’d certainly not advocate people hopping in a car or a taxi if they thought they had a life-threatening condition or one that was going to deteriorate on the way,” she said.

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Patients getting stuck at transitional accommodation for an average of six months, report finds

A man in a wheelchair holding a cane next to someone walking and wearing jeans.

A review into transitional accommodation for people with disabilities who have been discharged from hospital has found some people are getting stuck at facilities almost permanently, amid reports from patients that they are receiving substandard care.

The State Government ordered a review of the Transition to Home facilities after multiple complaints, including the case of a man known as “Mr D” who was found by ambulance staff in squalid conditions with an infected wound.

Mr D was at a Hampstead facility that has since closed, but the remaining Transition to Home programs at The Repat and St Margaret’s Rehabilitation Hospital have also come under fire for a lack of care, with allegations clients have been left to soil themselves in their wheelchairs .

Last week, the ABC revealed multiple complaints from patients at the Repat Health Precinct, including allegations that patients were being left in their own faeces and had been given the incorrect doses of medication.

Originally designed to help NDIS clients stuck in hospital waiting for support to return home or to permanent accommodation, the independent report has found clients were being referred to the service without a discharge pathway, “resulting in clients being admitted whose length of stay in T2H will most likely to be static, long stay or permanent.”

A green and white ambulance with a blurred street behind it
A man known as Mr D was found by ambulance staff in squalid conditions with an infected wound.(ABC News: Che Chorley)

It found while the expected length of stay in a T2H facility was 90 days, the average length of stay was 207 days. As of June this year the longest stay was 536 days.

Staff and clients told the reviewers that in some cases clients were waiting on simple home modifications, but NDIS requirements to get three quotes, combined with the post COVID-19 market was leading to delays.

Major facility misunderstanding

The report found the centers were designed to operate as step-down facilities, but there were frequent misunderstandings with clients who expect ongoing hospital-level care, a situation exacerbated by their location in a hospital setting.

While both facilities were supposed to be a home-like environment, the report found they had significant limitations including shared rooms with just curtains to separate clients, a lack of storage, limited access to outdoor areas and a lack of amenities like kitchen and laundry facilities. .

The exterior of the Daw Park Repatriation Hospital's frontage
The “Robust Unit” at The Repat was singled out for particular criticism.(ABC News: Isabel Dayman)

The so-called “Robust Unit” at The Repat was singled out.

“The new Robust Units … are stark and confronting, and the current bright white color and fit out are unlikely to contribute to calming a person with challenging behaviour,” the report found.

It found St Margaret’s “arrangements are of a much higher standard, although a number of shared rooms impact client privacy and dignity”.

The facilities have already been subject to multiple investigations, including internal audits and an inquiry by the Health and Community Services Complaints Commissioner.

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Australia

Disability advocates call for better support for people in rural, regional and remote NSW

A close up of an older woman with glasses wearing a cardigan outside her home.

Pauline Follett has been struggling to get on the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) for three years and is “frustrated” with the health system.

The 54-year-old has been living with cerebral lupus for nearly 30 years and depends on her disability pension as her main source of income.

Lupus can damage nerves in the body through inflammation of nerves or the tissues surrounding them.

The condition affects Ms Follett’s balance, which makes it difficult for her to walk and do tasks such as cooking, cleaning and driving.

She lives by herself in Gol Gol, in far west New South Wales, and has limited support.

“It becomes very difficult when you become too unwell to stay in one’s home. You have to have support when you’re disabled,” Ms Follett said.

An older woman pouring a kettle in her kitchen with her walker in front of her.
Pauline Follett lives on the border between Victoria and New South Wales.(ABC NewsRichard Crabtree)

The first time she applied for NDIS, she said the assessors focused “on the wrong thing”, that she lives with osteoporosis rather than lupus.

The second time Ms Follett applied, she said she was told her specialists could do more for her.

The support she receives is from a local disability service provider, but only includes assistance with transportation and cleaning.

And that support is not guaranteed, as Ms Follett is reassessed for it every six weeks.

That has meant she has made nearly 30 applications over the past three years to maintain the help.

“It’s all up in the air, all the time … You’re not guaranteed, it’s very tiring,” she said.

“You have to be on the ball all the time, which is difficult when you’re ill.”

Uncertainty exacerbates condition

She likes living in her own home but without the right help, she believes she could be forced to leave and fears being unable to find stable aged care accommodation, which would put her at risk of homelessness.

An older woman standing with her walker outside her home.
Pauline Follett hopes to get NDIS support after being rejected twice.(ABC NewsRichard Crabtree)

“Item [aged care] is difficult to get here. It’s not as readily available to us, so to have something like that. It’d be very hard to access,” she said.

Ms Follett said the uncertainty of NDIS providing support had affected her mental health, which had taken a toll on her physically.

“I’m very stressed, and with my lupus, stress is something that exacerbates my condition, so it makes it worse,” she said.

Ms Follett is not alone in finding access to services difficult.

Calls on government to do more

Disability Advocacy NSW released The Aussie Battlers report to the ABC, detailing issues people living with disabilities face in rural, regional and remote (RRR) NSW.

It showed 61 per cent of cases in RRR areas had difficulties meeting evidence requirements due to limited accessibility of service providers.

In RRR NSW, 73 per cent of people reported their service accessibility as poor or very poor.

Disability Advocacy NSW policy officer Cherry Baylosis said the results were not surprising.

A close up of a woman with brown hair wearing a patterned shirt.
Cherry Baylosis contributed to The Aussie Battlers report.(ABC Broken Hill: Youssef Saudie)

“It is concerning when I confirmed these experiences persist despite some of the efforts that were made,” Dr Baylosis said.

She is calling on the government to involve people with disabilities in policymaking.

“At the very least to have consultations with people with disabilities who live in remote areas for better engagement and participation, and then developing considerations within policy based off that,” she said.

“I would like policy to take into consideration the complexities of people with disability living in regional, rural and remote areas to consider the complications — such as the cost of living with a disability.”

Delays from service providers

There are 750 NDIS recipients in far west New South Wales as of June 30, but far west NSW Disability Advocacy district manager Eveleen May said there would be a “lot more” people who were in need of assistance.

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Australia

WA NDIS participant Mitchell Pearce dies in Busselton hospital waiting for disability accommodation

A composite photo of a man sitting in hospital

The family of a disabled man who died after spending more than four months in hospital waiting for accommodation have described the National Disability Insurance Scheme and aged care system in Australia as “broken”.

Mitchell Pearce, 52, died on Saturday in hospice care, little more than a day after NDIS Minister Bill Shorten ordered the agency to find him appropriate accommodation as a “matter of urgency.”

His sister Justine Richmond said her brother died peacefully surrounded by people who loved him.

Mr Pearce had been in Busselton Hospital since March 29.

His family said Mr Pearce, who was disabled since suffering brain tumors as a child, had lost the will to live in hospital, and refused to eat or drink.

Vow to keep fighting

While it was too late for her brother, Mrs Richmond urged people to keep speaking up for change.

Two women stand in a home garden looking at a camera
Mr Pearce’s sister Mrs Richmond, left, and mother Judith Pearce want people to speak up and bring about structural change to the NDIS.(ABC South West: Georgia Loney)

She said since the family’s story came out on Friday she had been inundated with people wanting to share their experiences.

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Australia

Adelaide couple turns property into Joanna Life Skills Centre, refuge for vulnerable people

A man and woman lean against a wooden fence post smiling.

Carol Coleman had been dreaming for years when she stumbled on the rundown church campsite that is now the Joanna Life Skills Centre.

Her husband Rob was passing through the small farming area in South Australia’s Coonawarra region for work when he spotted it.

Once Carol saw it, their Adelaide life as they knew it changed forever.

“I was hysterical. All I could see was people in a safe place, warm in bed and with food in their mouths. And that was just so important to me,” Ms Coleman said.

“It wasn’t a choice. It was like this has been shown to us. We have to do it. We just have to do it.”

When they bought the site in 2017, its 12 buildings, with 42 bedrooms, had been vacant for two years and were in need of desperate repair.

It didn’t matter.

“When you’re working in mental health and you see the terrible situations that people are in, you look at a place like this and think ‘this place can make a big difference’,” Ms Coleman said.

Trees and grass surround a white building.
There are 12 buildings on the property including a recreation room, commercial kitchen, and seven housing blocks.(ABC South East S.A.: Bec Whetham)

“So we packed up and we’re here.”

Over the years, they’ve chipped away at renovations, getting the place up to a good living standard for the people with disabilities and mental health needs that come to stay.

The NDIS registered service looks after 15 people at any one time. Most visit for two weeks to “catch their breath”, while others have stayed 12 months.

While there, visitors help clean and look after the animals. They have the opportunity to learn life skills like cooking and changing a tire.

“The whole idea is that they can look after themselves at the end of it all,” Mr Coleman said.

“While they’re vulnerable, they can be here. And when they’re a little more settled, they can go elsewhere and enjoy their life.”

Two chairs with rugs on them sit by a window, a table with cosmetics and nail polish between them.
Carol has created a pamper room for visitors to relax in.(ABC South East S.A.: Bec Whetham)

Vision for the site

Carol Coleman isn’t afraid of vulnerable people. Before studying as a nurse, her mother’s trade de ella, she worked as a cleaner at Glenside Psychiatric Hospital in Adelaide.

“Back in the 80s, people were looked after really well,” Ms Coleman said.

“It was once people started to be moved out into the community that people really started to struggle.”

While some residents who went into homes received lifetime support, Ms Coleman said others didn’t.

A few guitars and drums sit on a carpeted floor next to a piano.
There’s lots to keep people busy at the center.(ABC South East S.A.: Bec Whetham)

“I remember one particular lady was placed in a house across the road from me. She only used the lounge room and the toilet because she was too scared to go into the other rooms,” Ms Coleman said.

“She was a paranoid schizophrenic.

“She ended up walking out in front of cars because she was so distressed.”

Ms Coleman doesn’t know where she ended up.

“It’s people like that you just want to wrap your arms around and go, ‘you can be safe here. You don’t have to be frightened anymore’,” Ms Coleman said.

“There are thousands of people in situations that it’s just cruel to them.

“It’s not something to look down on, it’s something to open people’s eyes and go, ‘How can we help?'”

A worn basketball court surrounded by lawn and gum trees.
The basketball court at Joanna Life Skills Centre.(ABC South East S.A.: Bec Whetham)

While the center may be Carol’s vision, Rob is just as involved.

His experience managing waste transfer systems for 45 years has been put to good use.

“I find managing people in local government is pretty much the same in managing people here,” Mr Coleman said.

“Everyone has problems. It’s about transferring those skills of dealing with people over to dealing with people on a day-by-day basis.”

Learning life skills

Molly is using the center to catch her breath after a tough divorce.

During her month there, she has enjoyed coloring in, playing puzzles, going to the recreation room, and feeding Rosie the lamb.

“I like it here. It’s much calmer,” Molly said.

“Being in Mount Gambier was so stressful, I was so stressed all the time. I just couldn’t cope. But being here, I love it.”

A woman in jeans and a hoodie sits on some grass patting a lamb.
Getting to know lamb Rosie has been one of the highlights of Molly’s stay.(ABC South East S.A.: Bec Whetham)

Lately, she’s been busy preparing for her first prom later this month. The Colemans are taking her from her.

“They encourage me not to give up on things. If I say I don’t want to, they say, ‘come on. You can do it’,” Molly said.

“They’re really sweet and kind and caring for me.”

Required to help look after the grounds, Molly has taken to her new responsibilities well.

“It’s all part of normal life. If they’re going to leave here and go and find their own place to live, they’ve got to be able to look after what they’ve got,” Mr Coleman said.

A woman wearing jeans and a hooded jumper holds a rake smiling.
Molly making herself useful.(ABC South East S.A.: Bec Whetham)

Five years in the making

The work on site continues. In five years, they’ve managed to renovate most of the accommodation — adapting 42 small bedrooms to fewer but larger rooms with more living spaces and wet areas.

“It’s taken us a long time. Two people can only work so fast. And then you have to have the funds to buy materials,” Ms Coleman said.

“It’s been a hard slog but it’s absolutely worth it.”

A man walks into a small weatherboard building on an overcast day.
Rob has turned an old school building on the site into a functioning gym. He just needs to clad the outside.(ABC South East S.A.: Bec Whetham)

They were able to fund the project early on by accommodating local meatworkers.

“We were contacted by Regional Development when we arrived,” Ms Coleman said.

“That was like a gift from heaven because they basically gave us the opportunity to establish the place. We housed probably 140 workers over two years.”

A horse stands eats at some grass.
Various animals call the center home.(ABC South East S.A.: Bec Whetham)

future hopes

The Colemans plan to keep adding facilities to the site — like a woodworking shed and community garden.

“The property’s huge. We have to use it,” Ms Coleman said.

Whilst clients can already access occupational therapist, dietitian and physiotherapist support at the center, the couple hopes for more services.

“In the future, it needs to be a one-stop-shop so that people have got all the support around them that they need,” Ms Coleman said.

“These people are humans, they’ve got a whole lot of needs. And it takes an army to fill those needs.”

A pool table and billiards table sit in a large hall with a TV and other games.
Those staying are encouraged to enjoy the recreation room.(ABC South East S.A.: Bec Whetham)

Having extra staff around is also crucial for lightening the couple’s load.

They have had just one day off in five years but it’s a price they’re willing to pay.

“This is our retirement,” Ms. Coleman said.

Mr Coleman said people tended to stay in contact after they left the centre.

“Carol often gets a couple of phone calls a day from past ones that have been here. And they just check in, say hello,” he said.

“Sometimes they might not be feeling that great. And a chat for five minutes is enough to keep them on track.”

A man and woman stand on a dirt road surrounded by trees, laughing.
Rob and Carol Coleman are committed to being here for the long haul.(ABC South East S.A.: Bec Whetham)

After the implications of renovations and COVID-19, the Colemans say they’re ready to take on more visitors.

“We’ve been under the radar for some time,” Ms Coleman said.

“For a place this big with so many opportunities, people need to know that we’re here.”

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Australia

SA government to use former aged care home to help transition NDIS patients out of hospital

A tram in front of a white hospital building with green and yellow trees

A former aged care home will be used to transition NDIS patients who no longer need acute medical care out of hospital in a bid to free up capacity across South Australia’s overwhelmed health system.

The state’s hospitals continue to face unprecedented pressure, with 341 patients currently hospitalized with COVID-19, including 11 who are in intensive care.

There have also been 984 people hospitalized with the flu this year.

The new 24-bed community care facility will open next week at the former site of Uniting SA’s Regency Green aged care home.

Health Minister Chris Picton said the new facility would provide transitional care to NDIS patients with a psychosocial disability while they received mental health support.

“It’s going to give a much more peaceful and calming environment for them, the appropriate care that’s going to be provided by CLO (Community Living Options) but also making sure we are freeing up those beds,” he said.

A woman wearing a purple blazer and purple lipstick with a serious expression
SA’s Human Services Minister Nat Cook says some NDIS patients have been waiting in hospital for over a year. (abcnews)

There are currently 127 patients in public hospital beds who are eligible for NDIS support services and ready to be discharged.

“These are people who it has been difficult to find elsewhere because they do need appropriate supports,” Mr Picton said.

“These are people who have NDIS clearance, are medically cleared to be discharged from hospital but there simply aren’t places for them to go.”

The facility will cost $1.2 million to open and will initially only take patients from Central Adelaide Local Health Network (CALHN).

It will be run by CLO in partnership with Wellbeing SA, Uniting SA, CALHN and the Office of the Chief Psychiatrist.

Human Services Minister Nat Cook said for some NDIS patients, hospital could worsen conditions and escalate behaviours.

“These people, some of them have remained in hospital not just for weeks and months but for over a year,” she said.

“They have been stuck in other step-down facilities as well without pathways or coordinated journeys for discharge to home.”

A woman with short brown hair wearing a beige scarf and a black top
COVID acute commander Lesley Dwyer says 230 patients have been moved out of hospital and into aged care facilities. (abcnews)

Acute System Response COVID Commander Lesley Dwyer said in the last few weeks, 57 NDIS patients had been discharged into more appropriate accommodation.

“Accommodation that is much more home-like gives people a chance to really experience independence that they probably haven’t had while they have been in the acute system,” she said.

“In addition to that, we have also discharged 230 people into aged care beds.”

The latest data from the SA Ambulance Service shows ambulances spent 3,647 hours ramped outside hospitals during July.

The previous month, SA recorded its worst ramping times on record with 3,838 hours lost waiting for beds to become available.

The state recorded 2,421 new cases of COVID-19 today and eight deaths of patients ranging in age from their 60s to 90s.

There are currently 17,647 active cases in the state.

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Categories
Australia

NDIS participant Mitchell Pearce’s family fear he will die in hospital waiting for a home

A woman in her 60's or 70's in a green jumper standing close to a younger man with a red gingham shirt

The family of a disabled man who has spent more than four months in a Western Australian hospital waiting for supported housing has described navigating the National Disability Insurance Scheme as “heartbreaking”.

Mitchell Pearce, 52, has been at the Busselton Health Campus since March 29.

His sister said he had lost the will to live — a decline she said was potentially hastened by months in hospital.

Disability advocates claim more than 1,000 NDIS patients are effectively stuck in hospital because of delays in finding funding or suitable accommodation, and due to difficulties in navigating the system.

NDIS Minister Bill Shorten said yesterday he had asked the National Disability Insurance Agency to find Mr Pearce suitable accommodation “as a matter of urgency”.

Judith Pearce said her much-loved son, who is disabled after battling brain tumors as a child, had been admitted to hospital after a series of falls that meant he could no longer live at home.

A fair-skinned woman who is aged 80, has fair hair, and a black jumper. It's just her face de ella-she has a serious expression
Judith Pearce says dealing with the NDIS has been heartbreaking.(ABC South West: Georgia Loney)

While Mr Pearce was eligible for NDIS funding, the only suitable accommodation offered was in Perth or Bunbury — far away from his support network.

She said she couldn’t fault the care given in hospital, but said her son had become non-responsive and was refusing to eat or drink.

“He was quite buoyant and quite happy at the situation when he first went in,” she said.

“But I think being there for so long in this situation he has got really depressed and got down.

“Now it’s really just too late, I think for Mitchell.”

A composite photo of a man sitting in hospital
Mitchell Pearce’s family says he has deteriorated since being admitted to hospital four months ago.(Supplied)

Mrs Pearce described the situation with the NDIS as heartbreaking.

“I think they have just let us go for far too long,” she said.

“I thought if perhaps we’d been there at maybe a month that something would have been resolved.”

She said the length of the stay had been devastating.

“All through all Mitchell’s illnesses, we’ve always had something to fight for. But this time, we haven’t,” she said.

‘Inhumane, inflexible’ system

Mr Peace’s sister Justine Richmond said the NDIS system was so inflexible it was inhumane.

She said her brother could not be assessed for going into a local nursing home without being “released” from the NDIS, as he was too young.

A younger woman in her 50's with a gray poncho and her mother in a gray top, are sitting on a couch looking at a photo
Justine Richmond and Judith Pearce say navigating the NDIS has been stressful.(ABC South West: Georgia Loney)

“Right back in April, when we first started having meetings about trying to find residential care for Mitchell, they acknowledged that we could go through this lengthy process, and that aged care might be the only outcome,” she said.

“But we still had to go through the process, even though this was a person who was stuck in hospital for months and months now.”

She said the NDIS needed to be able to deal more quickly with individual circumstances.

“It’s a very regimented situation… so if something doesn’t exactly fit their criteria, it doesn’t happen,” she said.

Not a unique situation

Persons with Disabilities Australia president Sam Connor said it was unacceptable disabled people were facing such long delays to be discharged from hospital because of systemic issues with the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

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