I work as a nurse who visits the homes of elderly people throughout the week to help them with their medicines, care, and any of the life bits they need some assistance with. It’s a rewarding job but it is also a tough job. I do end up getting quite attached to some of the people I assist and sadly, due to their age and illnesses, some of them do pass on. I’ve really had to learn how to rejig my thinking so I can accept these deaths a lot easier. It has gotten easier over the years. One thing that does hurt when I go to these homes is seeing these pensioners struggle with money. Some retire before pension age due to illness or disability, others only receive very small support payments. Either way, life gets super expensive. There have been a few times where I’ve been to these houses and noticed the patients not turning the heating on because they’re scared of the bill. I had another pensioner who needed a few bath modifications. Sydney is an expensive area to live so sadly she kept putting off getting the modifications done. This really concerned me as a few times I’d visit her and found out that she’d slipped or hurt herself getting into the bath.
It’s really heartbreaking to see these elderly have to struggle financially because of their position and not be able to pay for the things they need. I’ve been a huge advocate of trying to get more money for the elderly and raise the fortnightly pension. While I haven’t had success yet, I have garnered some attention from a few people. I’m hoping it’s just a matter of time before people realise something needs to be done. It would be great if the government could subsidise the cost of bathtub remodelling for the elderly or disabled. Unfortunately, sometimes it takes a long time for governments to move on things like this. I’m just glad that there are companies around willing to do these remodels to help those that need it.