The tragic deaths of an elderly Queensland couple last week have brought to light deep-seated fears about aged care in Australia. The couple, an 81-year-old man and his 79-year-old wife, were found deceased in their apartment at the Magic Mountain complex in Miami on the Gold Coast.
Investigating by the authorities seems to indicate that they took their own lives to avoid being moved into a care home.
Detective Inspector Mark Mooney confirmed that the couple’s adult daughter had travelled from interstate to assist them with their transition into an aged care facility in Victoria. Upon returning to their home, she made the devastating discovery.
“There was a typed message (left at the scene),” Mooney said. “We are still trying to determine the veracity, (but) the note indicates they were not interested in moving into a home.”
The couple, who had lived on the Gold Coast for over 20 years, were both struggling with poor health. Mooney stated that the woman had dementia, while her husband had recently been discharged from hospital after suffering from hip issues that had impacted his mobility.
Despite initial concerns, police found no evidence of violence at the scene, and there was no history of domestic incidents involving the couple. Their only prior interaction with law enforcement dated back to a burglary they reported in 2001.
Aged Care: A System Under Scrutiny
This heartbreaking event has reignited concerns about Australia’s aged care system and the anxieties many older Australians feel about entering institutional care. The 2021 Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety exposed significant failings, including cases of neglect and abuse, which have left many older Australians fearful of what awaits them in residential facilities.
Although reforms are being introduced, including the new Aged Care Act set to take effect from 1 July 2024, progress has been slow. Recent data from the Queensland Aged Care Home Star Ratings Guide showed that a third of facilities in the state had performed worse than the previous year.
While many saw improvements, Older Persons Advocacy Network CEO Craig Gear expressed concerns that the ratings did not necessarily reflect the quality of care, warning they could give older Australians a “false sense of security.”
Aged care should be a place of comfort, dignity, and security, yet too often, it is seen as a last resort – a sentiment tragically reflected in the note left behind by the deceased couple.
Their deaths serve as a sobering reminder of the urgent need to rebuild trust in the system and ensure that aged care is not feared but embraced as a viable option for those in need.
The Broader Conversation: Voluntary Assisted Dying and Quality of Life
While discussions around aged care reform continue, the case also raises questions about voluntary assisted dying (VAD) in Australia. Currently, individuals with dementia are ineligible for VAD due to their lack of decision-making capacity, despite it being one of the most feared diagnoses among older Australians.
As the population ages, it is critical to explore refining available solutions that allow individuals to make decisions about their end-of-life care.
If you or someone you know is in distress, please seek help from support services such as Lifeline (13 11 14), Beyond Blue (1300 22 4636), or the Suicide Callback Service (1300 659 467).
Only by living and I mean either living, working or volunteering in Aged Care can anyone realise that the fear of this dear couple can be very well founded in very many cases. Well intentioned academics, politicians, bureacrats and even families can lay down great plans without true recognition of the lack of progress, of the actual level of quality of life in “Care”. The Royal Commission certainly did a great job of presenting the failures of the system. What a pity that very few of their recommendations are being truly implemented. How many grass roots level workers in Aged Care are of the same opinion as this couple? ??? It would be amazing to do a truthful poll on the subject!
Agree! What’s worse is the claims that the new aged care act will FIX aged care. Considering what I’ve been witness to in the last few weeks, I see how they will achieve it which is basically through intimidation, fear and coercive control!
ACQSC now blocking individuals from raising complaints with accusations of harassment and abuse towards workers. Of course no view as to why an individual might behave that way however many have proven the accusations to be unfounded with no evidence provided. Additionally, family members that have had restraining orders and restrictions of access to their loved ones who reside in a facility because they observed something that caused them to raise a concern and complaint not addressed by the facility and continually reoccurring.
There is NOTHING that anyone can do about it either.
These and many other real problems have not even been considered in the new act and individuals who want to have their rights upheld have had their hands tied thanks to a clauses that waivers fault and responsibility to u able recourse through litigation by individuals.
ACQSC now blocking individuals from raising complaints with accusations of harassment and abuse towards workers
Hi Christina.
I have a complaint about my provider, with the ACQSC at the moment. Could you please elaborate on your statement about.
Regards James Styles
I work in Aged Care and we old school nurses know it has many failings. And still does. I struggle mentally with it every shift I do and I know older ppl who wish VAD existed. I moved interstate to keep my father out of a residential setting, and sure as eggs I will never want to be in one. My family are aware. It’s sad. Aged Care was NOT like it is now 20-30 years ago.
This will happen more and more unless aged care facilities can show they are better staffed and run.
there seems to be a rise of families wanting to put parents into care facilities with or with out their cooperation. this is elder abuse.
We have to make aged care at home more accessable and quicker to organise.
We in australia have and continue to fail our elderly. third wold countries are better at caring for thier elders.
We should be ashamed of our care of our elders.
The reason why VAD is a feared diagnosis is based on the failings of the Aged Care sector that is becoming worse by the day! Additionally the stigma that assists in society that a diagnosis is the beginning of a long death. This very poor message delivered by the associations who are meant to support those with the diagnosis.
The health industry does not mandate training accross the board for those who actually work and provide daily assistance to those with the disease. They are not trained to have the skills that will improve the quality at which they delver the assistance daily.
Instead of having workers complaining because the only official training they ever had was on the job exposure or exposure from assisting someone in the family, is comparable to attempting to communicate with someone who speaks a completely different language. Even basic training and understanding of the disease and its progression (not based on observation alone) would assist. Using and being taught skills that many would not naturally consider and not based on those not qualified to train, training others!
On a basic level, it’s worth remembering and reminding everyone that those with Alzheimer’s are still people, they are HUMAN, they have emotions and can show they are happy, sad, angry, hungry, scared, frustrated, lonely. They can still smile, laugh, cry and feel pain. So why are we so quick to favor allowing VAD.
Society stigma requires reprogramming because the impact would not only improve the views of those with the diagnosis, but also those who currently view providing assistance more as burdensome and time consuming, even as a frustrating chore over one of compassion and assistance.
It’s heartbreaking bearing witness to the poor reality of misguided stigma associated to the disease and the individual with it. Life is not always about memories or future. It is about today, right now, this moment. So what if your parent forgets your name or who you are, they still raised you!