Where it all began
Pingelly CRC could see the effects of ageing within their community as friends and neighbours either went without care and support or moved away to larger towns. The CRC facilitated a meeting with key stakeholders in the community to plan how they could meet the needs of older residents in Pingelly. All agreed that this was an issue that needed to be addressed, and that they needed to work collaboratively to find a local place-based solution.
The key question they asked was: “How do we care for the wellbeing of seniors and in particular those in rural remote Western Australia to ensure they can remain at home whilst they navigate the issues of aging in place?” It was clear that this was not a task for any one person to tackle alone, but that it would, as the old adage goes, “take a village”.
With the expert external facilitation of Peter Kenyon, Pingelly CRC hosted discussions to explore what they as a whole community could do. One of the key decisions was the formation of a single advocacy group – Pingelly Somerset Alliance - which was formed by the merging of Pingelly Cottage Homes and the Pingelly Frail Aged Hostel group. This group is now a strong advocacy voice for seniors in Pingelly and has continued to drive change that benefits the older residents of the community.
The Pingelly Somerset Alliance and Pingelly CRC worked in partnership to launch the Staying in Place project in 2022. It provides local place-based care services for seniors in Pingelly, Wandering, Cuballing and Wickepin. This involves the management of local seniors’ community housing, and the delivery of Community Home Care Support Services that enable people to stay in their homes and community.
The Community Home Care Support Service is intentionally using local people and local contractors to deliver the support services at home. The support services offered, range from basic needs like cleaning and pet care, to high level care and support such as meal preparation, nursing care, and medication support. They are intentional in making sure that the necessary physical supports are provided alongside the social support that enable seniors to attend regular social events and to maintain their mental wellbeing through connection to people and community. The initiative is already supporting more than 70 people in the region, and continues to grow.
Pingelly CRC, like all CRCs, has a strong and positive relationship with their community. This has been fundamental to extending aged care support to sometimes reluctant families and individuals. Fiercely independent and resilient community members, with an in-built “can do” attitude meant that some were not aware of, or chose not to, access support services that would allow improvement to both their day-to-day needs and their wellbeing. The CRC team were empathetic to peoples concern that seeking support felt like a failure and to the reality that many people were just not aware of the types of support they were eligible to receive.
The most exciting part is hearing how it has affected the lives of people, such as one lady who stopped into the CRC to thank them for the difference having support in the home has made to her life. She is now picked up and taken to the local shops to do her grocery shopping and is attending bingo every fortnight and Mah-jong group weekly. In her words “I forgot what it was like to be with people and how much it makes me smile – so much better than sitting home every day feeling sad.”
What’s next for Staying in Place?
Interest from communities across WA and in regional areas of other states continues to grow, with over 40 communities now able to access care through a local Staying in Place coordination Hub. Linkwest is expanding its role as a host organisation and exploring ways to further empower the local organisations operating as Staying in Place Hubs, ensuring their sustainability as independent, viable, and financially stable organisations.
Recent funding from Minister Punch, previously Minister for Regional Development; Disability Services; Fisheries; Seniors and Ageing; Volunteering to Linkwest is enabling expansion of Staying in Place to 10 more rural and remote communities. Kick start support grants and consultancy is helping to increase capacity for organisations at the start-up stage.