Eight years ago, when my father was very ill, I promised him that I would do all I could to keep my mother out of aged-care for as long as possible. She had always said that she wanted to live at home for as long as she could. So as my mother grew more frail, I arranged home care for her (three people on shifts, supporting her 24/7) at a cost of $5,000 per week. It was very stressful, as well as a very expensive time. Often I received phone calls in the middle of the night, and occasionally I had to take her to hospital in an ambulance. One day the doctor at hospital told me she would not be able to go home, and that I should find a place for her in an aged care facility.
Not only that, they told me they needed her bed
